We Must Be Killers
by Ariella.Blake
Summary: After being reunited with her family, Mia Monroe learns that life is just as dangerous behind the walls of Alexandria as it was beyond them. As she grows closer with the newest group in the community, she realizes she would do anything to protect them and what little family she has left... even if that means she has to make a deal with a bat-swinging devil to do it. Rick/OC {AU}
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Walking Dead. Any similarities in storyline or dialogue originated with the show.  
 **Summary:** Deanna and Reg's daughter, Mia, was hundreds of miles away from home when the apocalypse began. When she reaches the safe zone she learns that her parents and brothers have no idea what it's like on the outside. Will they be able to accept her as the person she's had to become in order to survive? And after spending every day since the outbreak fighting for her life, will she ever truly feel safe again? Lastly, what will she think about the group of survivors that arrived days before her? Or, better yet, what will they think of her? Rick/OC. Possible future Daryl/OC.  
 **A/N:** My OC's face-claim is Nina Dobrev.

Set during 5x12 "Remember"

 _I woke up, I was stuck in a dream_

 _You were there, you were tearing up everything_

 _And we all know how to fake it baby_

 _And we all know what we've done_

 _We must be killers_

 _Children of the wild ones_

 _Killers_

 _Where we got left to run?_

 _Killer_

" _We Must Be Killers" – Mikky Ekko_

PROLOGUE

"Her name is Amelia."

Rick turned to face Deanna when he heard her speak from behind him. He raised an eyebrow impassively. "What?"

The older woman pursed her pink lips into a thin line as she lifted a hand to point at the picture Rick had been looking at. It was a family portrait she had gotten done just a year before the world ended and it turned out to be the last picture they took that included her entire family. "The girl you don't recognize; the one standing between Aiden and Spencer. Her name is Amelia."

Rick turned his gaze to the photo again, his attention honing in on the shortest of the group. From what Rick could see, there was nothing special about her. She had long hair that matched that of Deanna's sons and a pretty smile. Her slim physique told him that she probably wouldn't fare too well going up against more than one walker at a time. He glanced over his shoulder at Deanna, but she was still staring at the picture. "Who is she?"

"She's my daughter," she responded without paying Rick any attention. "She was only 19 years old there."

Rick felt an immediate pang of sympathy for Deanna. He had been told several times that the inhabitants of Alexandria had all lost _something_ , but he didn't hold to much value to that statement. He thought their loss could never amount to his. Losing a child, though—Rick couldn't truly know what that felt like. He had felt the pain and grief when he thought Judith died, but he got her back in the end. He didn't know what it would have been like to lose his daughter for years and possibly forever.

"I'm sorry," he murmured as Deanna stepped up beside him. She took the framed photograph in her hands and lowered it from the bookshelf slowly, her gaze never parting from it.

"She was away at school—Harvard, actually—when the apocalypse hit," she explained quietly. "We managed to call her right before the power grid went dark, but she dropped the phone a few minutes in." Deanna traced her daughter's face lightly with her fingers. "We heard a few screams and then the line went dead. My husband and sons believe she's dead, but I think a part of me will always hope that she somehow finds her way back to us." She finally looked up at Rick, her expression serious and unmoving. "I wasn't lying when I said we've all lost something."

"You told her where you were—that you were here?" Rick questioned as he ran a hand over his beard before hooking his thumbs through his belt. He knew that Deanna must think there was a chance her daughter could have survived this long—and she could have, but being able to get from Massachusetts to Virginia on her own was highly unlikely. And if she told anyone else about Alexandria, they might have more to deal with than just a 20-something year old girl arriving at their gates.

"She knows we're in Alexandria," Deanna nodded.

"If she did come back, would you put her through this auditioning process? Or would you just let her, and whoever she might bring with her, inside without _screening_ them first?"

He half-expected her to show some type of emotion—anger, sadness, grief—but instead she held her ground, holding her head high. "We interview everybody who wants to live here because that's the rules. I don't bend them for anyone, not even my family."

"And what if she's not the daughter you remember?" Rick probed as he held her gaze. "What if she's like us?"

"Then I hope she can bring the same knowledge and skills to the table that you and your people can," Deanna told him, lifting her chin confidently. "But I know my daughter. _If_ she's still alive, I know she's only done what she's _had_ to do to survive, nothing more."

"You'd be surprised to hear some of the things that people have to do in order to survive out there," Rick said as he gestured towards the walls outside the window.

"I'm sure that's true," Deanna nodded.

Rick took a deep breath and let it out slowly, keeping his blue eyes locked on the wall that separated them from the world of death on the outside. "What do want from us?"

"These families," Deanna started to say as she placed the photo back on the bookshelf, her gaze lingering on it for a few seconds before turning it on Rick. "These families should be able to raise their children in a safe environment. Your son, your daughter—they should have a place to grow up. What do _I_ want?" She repeated his question as she stepped towards him. "I want you to help us survive. I know you can help us do that."

"How?" Rick asked, his voice hoarse and quiet.

"I am exceptionally good at reading people," she responded. "If I didn't win re-election, I was going to be a professional poker player." When Rick turned his face away, letting out a short sigh, Deanna narrowed her eyes daringly and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm not kidding."

Rick looked down at her as the next few seconds ticked by in silence. Deanna lifted her arm slightly and glanced down at her wristwatch. "Rick, it is 3:37 P.M. You're skeptical," she stated as fact as she shrugged her shoulders weakly. "You have a right to be. But it's time to decide— _if_ you're the one doing the deciding."

Deanna gathered her hands behind her back as she waited for his response. But instead, he lifted his arm and pinched the turner on the side of his wristwatch, rolling it between his fingers until the time was set correctly. Rick pressed his lips together as he stared at the arms of his watch. He wanted, more than anything, to give his family a home and he was willing to do whatever it took to provide that; even if it meant pretending to embrace the safe-zone lifestyle.

"I was a sheriff," he told her.

"Yeah," Deanna whispered and Rick looked up at her. "I knew it was something like that."

* * *

 **Two Days Later...**

"You three need new gigs," Aiden called out after Glenn, Noah, and Tara. "You're not ready for runs yet."

"Yeah," Glenn said without looking over his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure you got that backwards."

"Hey. Hey," Aiden warned as he caught up to Glenn, tapping him firmly on the back to get him to stop. "Look, we got a way of doing things around here."

"You tied up walkers," Glenn pointed out.

"He killed our friend!" Aiden exclaimed. He sighed as he stepped away from Glenn. "Look, I'm not having this conversation. You obey my orders out there."

"Well, then we're just as screwed as your last run crew," Glenn quipped.

"Say that again," Aiden dared as he stepped up to Glenn again, trying to look as intimidating as he could.

"Back off, Aiden," Tara warned right before he shoved Glenn lightly on the chest.

"Come on, man. Just take a step back," Noah said in an attempt to finish the argument before it really started.

"Come on, tough guy," Aiden jested as he shoved Glenn again.

Glenn stood his ground. "No one's impressed, man. Walk away."

"Aiden!" Deanna called out as she joined the group forming by the gate. "What is going on?"

"This guy has a problem with the way we do things," Aiden told his mother. He angled his shoulders so he could look back at her. "Why'd you let these people in?"

"Because we actually know what we're doing out there," Glenn responded for Deanna.

Aiden pursed his lips into a taught line before cocking his arm and swinging a tightened fist at Glenn. But Glenn was fast to react, ducking just low enough to avoid being hit. He straightened up a second later and landed a punch straight in the middle of Aiden's face, causing him to fall to the floor. Aiden's friend, Nicholas, reacted too. He jumped forward to take on Glenn, but Daryl rugby-tackled him to the ground before he could and pressed his hands around Nicholas' throat, choking him lightly.

Rick came running from outside the gate suddenly and went straight to Daryl, grabbing him around the shoulders. He didn't need to know why his friend had attacked the man that was now being choked because he trusted Daryl's instincts. But this was not the time to show their strength. They had to be patient for now.

"Let's not do this now," Rick whispered in Daryl's ear as he tried to lift him off Nicholas.

At the same time Aiden rose from the ground and began to walk towards Glenn. Michonne stepped in this time, sizing him up. "You want to end up on your ass again?"

Rick eventually managed to pry Daryl off Nicholas and push him back a few feet to let him try to calm down.

"I want everyone to hear me, okay?" Deanna shouted just loud enough so everyone who had gathered around the spectacle could hear. "Rick and his people are part of this community now—in all ways, as equals. Understood?!" She looked over at her son and raised an eyebrow.

"Understood," Aiden shrugged and smiled smugly.

"Deanna!" A man standing by the wall called out suddenly. "There's someone at the gate."

Everybody turned towards the safe-zone entrance, and the few that had weapons reached for them subconsciously. Deanna hurried over to the closed gate with Rick and a few others right behind her. The man who had been on guarding duty had his hand on the covered iron fence, waiting for instructions to open it.

"Did they say anything?" Rick asked as he reached the gate.

"Yeah," the man replied and his gaze fell on Deanna. "She said her name is Mia and that she's your daughter"

Rick's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at Deanna. She looked just as surprised as he did, but she gestured to the fence. "Open it."

Rick turned to the older woman, grabbing her arm lightly. "They could be lying. If your daughter told anyone about this place they could just be trying to get in and take it from—"

"I know it's her," Deana returned with more certainty than she felt and turned back to the man. She nodded once and he returned it, sliding the gate open.

Rick heard Deana let out a dry sob from beside him as he laid eyes on the same girl from the photograph in her living room. Except this was not the same girl he saw in that picture.

The girl he had seen in the picture was smiling, with her hair and make-up perfectly done, hugging her brothers—seemingly happy. She was young and unscathed there.

The young woman standing a few feet away from him was covered almost head-to-toe in a mixture of dirt and dried blood. Her hair was unkempt and tousled from the weather while the rest of her body was decorated with some noticeable scars, old and new. And instead of running to her mother or brother, who she hadn't seen in years, she stayed cemented in her spot outside the gate, holding a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other with a deadpan look in her eyes. It was at that moment Rick knew he had been right. This was not the same girl that Deanna and her husband had raised her to be. This was the survivor the apocalypse had turned her into.

The only question on Rick's mind was _what_ had she done in order to survive this long?

 ***Welcome to my first Walking Dead fanfiction. I hope I did well enough with the canon characters and introducing my OC. I'm afraid that this chapter wasn't too eventful, but feel free to disagree or agree (if it's constructive) and I promise that the next chapter will be better. I've wanted to make a TWD fanfic for a while and I thought when's a better day to publish a new story than on my birthday?! So, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and please let me know what you thought!**

 ****The title of this story and lyrics at the beginning of the chapter come from the song "We Must Be Killers" by Mikky Ekko. I think it describes the way that the survivors (and Amelia) feels coming into the safe-zone after everything they've been through. Give it a listen if you want!**

 *****Please favorite, follow, or review if you feel inclined to do so. It might give me inspiration to update quicker. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1

Set during the end of 5x12 "Remember" and most of 5x13 "Forget"

 _We are the last people standing_

 _At the end of the night_

 _We are the greatest pretenders_

 _In the cold morning light_

 _This is just another night_

 _And we've had many of them_

 _To the morning we're cast out_

 _But I know I'll land here again_

 _How am I going to get myself back home?_

" _Get Home" - Bastille_

Chapter 1 – We Are the Greatest Pretenders

It wasn't a dream. The older woman with the light brown hair was her mother. And the dark-haired man standing a few feet behind her was Amelia's brother. But even after realizing who they were, the emotions she had expected to feel remained absent.

She'd spent the last 18 months fighting for a way to be reunited with them, and there they were; alive and seemingly safe. So, why wasn't she already crying? Why wasn't she collapsing onto the floor in a heap of gleeful tears and sobs or running to embrace them after almost two years of being apart? Why was she just standing there staring at them with a dead expression?

 _Move, cry, do something—anything, please. Show them you're okay… force this lie if you have to. Just do something,_ Amelia thought to herself as she watched her mother—one of the strongest women she had ever met—begin to crumble before her very eyes.

"Amelia," Deanna cried and she walked towards her daughter slowly with tears in her eyes.

For nearly two years she had forced herself to hold up the emotional barriers she had built in order to help her survive, and it felt impossible to break them down after all that time. But that's what she wanted—she _wanted_ to cry and be overwhelmingly happy at the moment of her reunion with her family. Nonetheless, that wasn't what happened.

She felt the relief and the joy, but she couldn't allow it to overtake her. She couldn't show that side of her, not even to her own mother and brother.

Amelia wound her arms around her mother's neck as Deanna pulled her into a hug. Her mother's entire body shook with a sob as she held onto her daughter tightly and Amelia obliged, allowing the embrace to last as long as Deanna deemed fit.

Aiden waited for his turn patiently, much to his sister's surprise.

"I don't think I've ever this happy to see you, sis," Aiden said and she forced herself to laugh weakly. She took a few quick steps towards him and jumped into his outstretched arms, knowing that's what he had expected her to do. She held onto her older brother as tightly as she could without causing physical harm and cupped the back of his neck as she placed several kisses against the side of his head. Aiden's arms wrapped around her waist as he lifted her off the floor slightly, grinning uncontrollably into the crevice of her shoulder.

Mia knew it was the same reaction she had given a few years prior after going off to school for her first time. After not seeing him or the rest of her family for just a few months, she'd been a blubbering mess. She tried her hardest to make this reunion seem just as sincere. The only thing that was amiss was the amount of tears she had shed or lack there of. But it didn't matter how hard she tried to force the show of emotion or how genuine her joy was. It just wasn't the same as before.

As she lingered in her brother's arms, she let her gaze wander from her immediate family for the first time. Her body tensed once she realized there were more than just a few strangers watching her. Aiden seemed to notice her change in demeanor and released her from their embrace. He came to stand beside her as she took in the sight of all the new faces surrounding her.

They appeared to be normal, friendly even. But, as she had learned very quickly after the outbreak, the worst monsters out there were those with the friendliest faces. It was scary what a smile and a few kind words could hide.

Her gaze caught on a few of them. One was a teen boy with shaggy brown hair and ocean blue eyes. The next was an Asian man. He had a kind smile, which usually would only make Mia become more suspicious, but something told her this man's appearance was true to his heart. The third to catch her interest was a tall, slender man with an athletic physique and dark brown hair that fell over one eye. His skin was tainted with a thin layer of dirt and he was unshaven, telling Amelia that he had either just arrived in Alexandria like her or he wasn't a fan of showers. She was the last person to judge, though. She knew she probably looked like she had just been thrown down a hill. The second to last person that she observed for a few extra moments was a black woman whose hair was woven into dreads. She had a confident demeanor that made Mia think she was someone who could handle herself in a fight.

The last person who her eyes fell upon—for what seemed like the longest—was another man. He was older than her by at least ten years or so and had brown hair that was brushed back behind his ears. This man was clean-shaven and pretty well-dressed in comparison with Amelia with only a few minor cuts on his forehead, but that wasn't what piqued her curiosity. It was when his gaze locked onto hers that she could see he wasn't like the others. His blue eyes were steady and intense—captivating, but also contained a hint of darkness, reminding her of the feeling she'd get whenever she looked in the mirror. It was almost frightening sometimes.

And maybe she was wrong, and he was just curious. But she sensed that he had seen things that he could never forget—things that made him question his humanity just like she had. As much as she wanted to know the answer to her thoughts, she wouldn't dare voice them.

She took a deep breath when her mother sidled up next to her, placing a hand on her arm as she peered up at her son.

"Aiden, you should take Mia back to the house and try to find Spencer and dad," Deanna angled at the eldest of her two children.

His gaze flickered to Amelia for a second before he nodded and took her arm to guide her in the right direction. "Come on, Mia."

She was in no place to question their actions. Instead, she gave the strangers who'd been watching her one last fleeting glance and allowed her brother to lead her away. She knew she'd see them again.

* * *

"I don't see it, but it's close," Daryl said before rejoining Rick and Carol in the small clearing beside an abandoned house. He looked between them. "There's just one of 'em."

"We won't be here long," Rick assured him as he hooked his thumb through his belt and rested his other hand on his gun. He gave Carol a sidelong glance. "So, what do you think?"

"We go in when it's empty," Carol told him, referencing the ammo

"Well, how's that?" Rick questioned. "It's locked up at night."

"The window," she offered. "There's just a latch. I can leave it open."

"The latch?" Rick asked as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. It was a fair plan, but there was more than enough room for a mistake.

"Yeah," Carol shrugged.

"What if one of those pricks shuts it?" Daryl probed.

"Wait a couple of days—leave it open again," Carol suggested without any doubt in her voice. She knew it would work.

The sound of rustling leaves and quiet snarling reached the clearing again, louder this time. "It's getting closer," Daryl noticed as he walked towards the side of the house, checking if the walker was in sight yet.

"We need to do it sooner than later," Rick reminded the other two. "Right now, they're not watching us—not worrying about meetings like this. We may need the guns, we may not."

"We will," Carol guaranteed. "Whatever way it goes."

Rick shifted his weight as he looked down at the floor and sighed. "They're the luckiest damn people I ever met… and they just keep getting luckier."

Daryl looked him up and down. "How's that?"

"We're here now," Rick shrugged, holding Daryl's gaze.

He seemed to hesitate, but nodded weakly a second later.

"They've got a couple of footlockers just full of 9 millimeter autos, Rugers, Kal-Techs—just tossed in there. They never use them. They'll never know they're gone," Carol explained, cutting the short silence off.

"Someone's got one now, right?" Daryl asked as he gestured at the empty blender sitting amongst the pile of junk behind them. Rick had been careful to store his extra weapon in a place he didn't think would be discovered. But he had been wrong, apparently. The gun was gone the next time he checked it's hiding place.

Rick exhaled slowly as his gaze lingered on the kitchen appliance for a few extra seconds. "Listen. The others—we want them to try."

"You, too," Carol angled at Daryl.

"So, we keep it quiet. Just us," Rick said. His eyes caught on something in the distance. He nodded towards the walker. "Here it comes."

"I got it," Daryl obliged as he started to lift his crossbow.

"Hey, wait," Carol said, stopping the younger man in his tracks. She lifted the gun she had been carrying with her since they left Alexandria, pointed it at the walker, shut one eye, and fired seven times into it's chest. She raised the weapon to aim a little and fired one last time, shooting the eighth bullet into it's forehead.

She lowered her gun slowly and looked over her shoulder to meet Rick's bemused gaze. Carol gave a small quirk of her head. "We said you were taking me out shooting. I couldn't go back with a full mag."

Daryl looked at Rick. "Lucky he came by."

"Lucky indeed."

Rick pulled his pistol, Daryl lifted his crossbow, and Carol raised her gun as they turned in unison towards the source of the voice. They all kept their weapons poised even after they saw who had joined their little meeting.

Amelia had her hands up in the air as she looked between the three people staring back at her. She tilted her head to the side slightly when the other survivors neglected to lower their weapons.

"I come in peace," she announced, giving her hands a small shake to show she meant what she said.

"How long have you been standing there?" Rick asked as he held her gaze.

Amelia shrugged and lowered her arms to her sides. "Longer than you'd like."

Daryl and Carol looked back at Rick before lowering their weapons. Rick hesitated, but followed in suit a couple seconds later. There was nothing they could do—even if she had heard something she wasn't supposed to.

Carol reacted first. She handed her gun to Rick timidly and turned back to Amelia, her eyebrows raised in preparation to question the younger woman. She was to try to keep up her den mother act as long as she could. "You're Amelia, right? Deanna's daughter?"

"Yeah," she nodded and knowing what that must sound like she added quickly, "but like I just said, I come in peace."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daryl asked as he gestured towards her.

"It means your secret is safe with me," Amelia responded without a moment of hesitation. "I give you my word."

"We don't _know_ you," Rick retorted. "How are we supposed to know that we can trust your _word_?"

"You don't—not yet, anyway," Amelia said with a small shrug. "But you don't really have any other option than to trust me and let me go on my way."

"There is one other option," Rick shrugged as he hooked his thumbs through his belt.

Amelia scoffed as her brown eyes flickered to his holstered gun. "You're not going to shoot me."

"We're not going to shoot you," Carol assured her after exchanging a short look with Rick. He pressed his lips together momentarily and sighed.

"We won't hurt you," he told her.

"I know," Amelia replied sharply, her brown eyes meeting Rick's blue ones. "You're not that desperate."

"Confident talk for such a little girl," Daryl quipped.

Amelia looked at the older man and opened her mouth to respond, but Rick beat her to it. "Why?"

She raised an eyebrow as her eyes flickered to him. "What?"

"Why are you willing to keep this from your parents—from your family?" Rick asked. "I mean, we're pretty much planning a coup and you don't feel the need to warn them? Why?"

Amelia lifted her chin slightly as she held Rick's intense gaze. "It's because you're right—about all of it. Alexandria isn't as safe as my mom thinks, and I didn't fight tooth and nail to be reunited with them just to watch it fall apart because some gun restrictions or not enough patrols."

"You want us to take over?" Carol asked as she narrowed her eyes. She was having a hard time believing the girl standing in front of her would be able to turn on her family.

"No," Amelia shook her head. "What I _want_ is for my family to live. And right now, they don't know how to do that."

"And you want to teach them?" Daryl questioned.

"I want them to realize that there is a universal evil out there whose only goal is to kill and steal. And one day, they will come to our doors—roamers or humans—and they will want to take that," Amelia paused as she gestured towards Alexandria, "from us. I will do everything in my power to keep that from happening." She gave a weak shrug and shake of her head. "Besides, if it does come down to a coup I want to know that there's someone on the other side looking out for my family."

"We don't want to hurt anybody," Carol told her quickly.

"I know," Amelia nodded. "But you will if you have to. Your main priority will always be _your_ family—keeping them safe. My top priority will always be my family—keeping _them_ safe."

"I'm guessin' you've already tried to talkin' your mom into changing her ways?" Daryl asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Tried and failed," Amelia nodded. "But at least they're aware of what is out here."

"You told them what you've been through?" Carol asked. Amelia knew it was more of a statement rather than a question, but she nodded again anyways.

"They're my family," she reasoned, trying not to get too deep into her thoughts or past.

"We're taking guns," Rick disclosed as if she hadn't heard their entire conversation. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"You can take whatever you want from the armory," Amelia started. "But you need to promise me that if it comes down to a fight, you'll give me a chance to talk to my parents and brothers before you start shooting."

"Killing people is a last resort," Carol said as smiled warmly and reached out to place a hand on Amelia's shoulder. The younger girl stepped back just quick enough to avoid contact.

"I don't like people touching me," she explained. It was all that she had to say, though. Rick, Daryl, and Carol could still see some of her scars.

"Sorry," Carol smiled sympathetically. She slid a glance in Rick's direction and nodded towards Mia.

"I promise I'll give you a chance to talk to them," Rick told her once he met her eyes. She nodded her head before she faced away from them and started to walk away, but Rick stepped towards her. "And you're just going to trust me?"

She pursed her lips together lightly as she angled her body towards them. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed heavily. "I am, and I really hope you don't make me regret showing you the first bit of trust I've had in months."

Rick narrowed his blue eyes as he held her gaze for a few seconds following her vague statement. Somehow, it made him feel primarily responsible for whatever actions he may have to take with the guns they were about to steal.

"Good luck with your plan," Amelia told the trio of survivors before turning her back to them and starting off in the opposite direction of Alexandria.

"Hey," Daryl called after her. She turned and met his gaze. "Where ya going?"

"Hunting," Amelia responded. "It takes my mind off things."

She sighed silently when she saw the subtle change in Daryl's expression. "You caught the trail too?"

"Yeah," Daryl said, his voice hoarse.

"You can join me if you like," she suggested rather hesitantly. It had been a while since she'd spent an extended amount of time around other living people. She had to start somewhere.

When Daryl also hesitated, she smiled lightly and added, "Don't worry. I don't bite and I'm quiet. I'll be the last one to scare the meal."

"Go if you want," Rick said quietly when his friend looked at him.

Amelia started walking again once Daryl began to follow her. She kept at least a few feet ahead of him at first, but slowly they began to match each other's pace. They both kept their eyes on the surrounding scenery, searching for signs of the hare they'd silently agreed to tack together. Amelia could tell Daryl was not one to start a conversation and over the span of the last couple months she had come to be same way. This might've been the only way in which they were alike, but she was grateful.

If she were lucky she'd occasionally find bliss in the silence.

* * *

The duo was making their way through the woods when Amelia heard the sound of leaves rustling nearby. It was too quick to be a walker and too heavy to be any of the animals she knew lived in this type of environment. The only logical conclusion was that someone had been following them.

She glanced over at Daryl to see that he was already staring at her, and arched an eyebrow as she jerked her head in the right direction, silently asking if he had heard their visitor as well. He nodded in response and rounded the cluster of trees beside him, raising his crossbow at the source of the sound.

"Come out!" He called out as he continued towards it. "Now!"

Amelia kept her hand on her gun, but decided against pulling it from it's holster. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when she saw it was Aaron, another Alexandrian, emerge from the tall bushes. She had been introduced to a handful of her new neighbors before heading out for some alone time. He came out with his hands raised and walked towards the two other survivors. Daryl eventually lowered his crossbow, but kept a careful eye on Aaron.

"You can tell the difference between walkers and humans by sound," Aaron noted with an impressed sigh. He lowered his arms to his side and glanced between Mia and Daryl for a moment before his gaze landed on Daryl. "Can you tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy? Rick doesn't seem to be an expert at that."

"There ain't much of a difference no more," Daryl responded, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"That how you feel about your people?" Aaron retorted. Amelia pressed her lips together lightly as she looked to Daryl for his answer.

"Why you folllowin' us?" Daryl asked as he stepped towards Aaron and narrowed his eyes., ignoring the question completely.

Aaron glanced around. "I—I didn't know I was. I came out to hunt rabbits. I know why you're out here."

Amelia quirked an eyebrow when he glanced at her as he said the last sentence, pretending to be clueless as to what he had meant. She was certain he did in fact know, though. He seemed like he had a knack for reading people, just like her mother.

"Mind if I join you?" Aaron asked after a few seconds of silence ticked by.

"You can take my place," Amelia answered for Daryl. When he shot her a look she angled her head towards him. "I have to get back. My mom's hosting a welcome party for all the new Alexandria arrivals, which means we're both on the guess list."

"Parties ain't my thing," Daryl said and Amelia forced a smile.

"That's exactly what I said when I first heard about it, but unfortunately my mother's the host so my presence is mandatory," she explained. "Good luck hunting, though."

She gave a weak wave before turning and starting back towards the safe-zone, leaving Daryl and Aaron standing beside each other in the middle of the woods.

* * *

Rick balanced Judith on his hip as he lingered in the corner of his room, his gaze bouncing around the room from one place to another. He had been at the party for almost two hours, but besides Deanna and her husband Reg, he'd only spoken to a few other people. He didn't feel any pressure to talk to the Alexandrians even though he had been the one to tell his family to try to integrate into this community. Rick knew that they'd eventually look to him to see if he had taken his own advice.

His eyes flashed to the front of the house when Jessie and the man he assumed was her husband walked back into the room from the hallway. Rick subconsciously decided that she would be a safe choice to talk to. He took a slow, steadying breath and took two long strides towards the blonde-haired woman.

His plan changed as he came to an abrupt stop when Amelia walked a few feet in front of him, catching his eye immediately. It was certainly Deanna's daughter, but Rick barely recognized her.

When she had first arrived in the safe-zone she had been covered in dirt and blood, her frame muffled by baggy clothes. And earlier that day she had still been covered in a thin layer of grime and was wearing the same clothes she arrived in. But as he looked at her—all made up for the party—she looked like an entirely different person.

There was never any question that she was physically attractive, but it wasn't until he saw her wearing that simple blue-green lace dress that he finally allowed himself to acknowledge how beautiful she was. Rick swallowed hard when she turned her head in his direction, her gaze meeting his. Amelia flashed her teeth as her pink lips spread into a contagious smile. Rick smiled back without hesitation, but he realized that she was no longer looking at him. She was looking right at Judith. He recognized the signature look everyone got when they first laid eyes on his daughter.

Rick moved Judith to his other hip when Amelia started towards them. He shifted his weight as she stopped a foot in front of and leaned over slightly to be at eye-level with Judith.

"She's absolutely beautiful," Mia commented as she slowly reached out to touch his daughter's arm. Judith turned her head slowly and smiled when Mia did.

"Thank you," he responded with a short nod.

Amelia let out shaky breath as she straightened up, her eyes never leaving the light-haired baby. She placed a hand over her mouth, closing her eyes momentarily as she took a calming breath. She looked up at Rick to find that he'd already been gazing down at her and dropped her hand to her chest as if she was trying to feel her heartbeat. "I'm sorry. I just—that's not—I never thought I'd see that again."

"A baby?" Rick asked understandingly.

"No," Mia breathed while her eyes dropped back to Judith. "Pure innocence."

Rick let his gaze flicker away from the younger woman as he thought about her answer. He nodded as he looked back at her. "It's a rare find in this world."

"The rarest," Amelia agreed solemnly with a crooked smile.

 **A/N: First off I just want to say that I did not expected the first chapter to get as well of a reception that it did. I want to give a big thank you to everyone who followed or favorited, and reviewed or pm'd me with great feedback just based off the first chapter! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Follows and favorites are so encouraging and reviews do wonders for my inspiration! The next chapter will pick up right where this one left off and Mia will be talking to some of the other survivors. Also let me know if you would want to see more Daryl/Mia scenes as well as Rick/Mia stuff. I hope to update at least once a week from here on out, but life might get in the way so I appreciate any kind of feedback that helps move my writer's brain along faster. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!**


	3. Chapter 2

Set during the end of 5x13 "Forget"

 _Darling, darling, doesn't have a problem_

 _Lying to herself 'cause her liquor's top shelf_

 _It's alarming honestly how charming she can be_

 _Fooling everyone, telling them she's having fun_

 _She says, "You don't want to be like me_

 _Don't want to see all the things I've seen."_

" _Carmen" – Lana Del Rey_

Chapter 2 – Fooling Everyone

Rick was surprised at his innate fascination with the girl he'd come to know as Mia. And after speaking with her for only the second time since she arrived at Alexandria, his opinion of her became even more obscured.

The characteristics she was portraying seem almost too sincere. He had seen the scars and the lack of emotion in her expression the first time he laid eyes on her. Now, as he watched her circulating the room, she seemed completely relaxed and comfortable talking to so many people. Mia was smiling believingly, laughing genuinely, and telling jokes and stories that captivated her audience. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Mia had gone from being this obviously troubled girl to a social butterfly within 24 hours. And the partygoers believed every second of it—even her parents, despite the fact that they supposedly knew about everything she had been through.

But what had she been through? Rick didn't know how to even begin to guess the answer. What he did know was that he couldn't trust her. Even though his instinct told him he could, he couldn't allow himself to—not until he heard the truth for himself and was certain it was in fact just that. Until then, she was just another person he had to keep an eye on.

Mia's mother had been the one to pull her away from their short talk and she was immediately roped into another discussion just a few feet away from him. He couldn't stop himself from watching the way she maneuvered through a conversation. He could sense that she had every response planned out, even her smiles appeared calculated. This gut feeling should have made him decide to be guarded with Mia, but the truth was that other than the members of his family, she was the only person who'd managed to keep his attention for longer than a few minutes. And he only wanted to learn more about her.

Rick pursed his lips as he watched Mia say something and smile, a tailored laugh causing her shoulders to shake lightly. The small group of people who were fully enveloped by the conversation also broke out into fits of laughter, telling him that Mia had been the source of humor.

The young man, who Rick vaguely recognized, standing beside Mia smoothly closed the distance between them and they angled their heads towards each other, allowing him to say something to her without having someone overhear them. Rick narrowed his eyes when Mia smirked in response and nodded a few times. The guy then took her arm softly and began to lead her even farther into the room, but she stopped abruptly and turned to get rid of the empty cup she was holding. As she placed it on a nearby table, her gaze flickered across the room and met Rick's immediately. Since he was no longer holding Judith he knew that when she smiled at him she was only looking at him. Mia gave a small wave in Rick's direction after her friend called out to get her attention and he barely had time to return the gesture before she was escorted away through the living room.

Once he lost sight of her, Rick let out a silent sigh and faced the window behind him, his gaze skimming the backyard of Deanna's house. He knew the gates had kept out all the things he believed to be dangerous until then, but he still felt the need to be on constant alert. He couldn't let himself get weak—ever. And that didn't just go for the security of the safe-zone. He barely knew the people he was supposed to call his neighbors and Rick still had no idea what they were or weren't capable of.

He stayed by the window for the next hour, watching as the sky darkened and the party talk died down to a quiet hum of scattered conversation. Quite a few people had already left for the night, but most of the partygoers weren't showing any sign of slowing down. Rick had to guess that it was almost nine since at least a few hours had passed since he last checked the clock.

"You know that in order to get a refill you might actually have to leave that spot, right?"

Rick turned away from the window and smiled when he saw Amelia standing a few feet away from him with Judith sitting on her hip. He could tell she had held a baby before just by how comfortable she looked with Judith in her arms.

"I had no idea," Rick responded as he tipped his empty cup towards her. Mia's lips tugged up into a smile and she stepped towards him slowly.

"I don't think you've moved an inch since I last saw you," Mia sighed. She tilted her head a little and scrunched her nose. "It's a little concerning."

"Concerning?" Rick arched an eyebrow.

"What?" She shrugged, keeping her arms locked around Judith. "Am I not allowed to do that?"

"Well, I don't really know you, and the same goes for you." Rick hooked one of his thumbs through his belt as he used his other hand to gesture towards Mia.

"There's an easy solution to that, though," Mia pointed out with a quirk of her perfectly tweezed eyebrow. She let their conversation lag for a moment as she hoisted Judith higher on her waist and lightly rested her cheek against the infant's head, blinking innocently a few times. "Tell us a little about yourself, Rick."

Rick let out a breathless laugh as he pinched his eyebrows together and gazed out the window for a couple seconds. He sighed quietly, pursing his lips as he faced Mia again. "Uh, I was a sheriff."

"A sheriff," Mia mused aloud. "I had you pegged as a minor league baseball player."

"Really?" He asked even though he was almost certain she was joking.

"No." She smiled, shaking her head lightly. "I didn't know what you were exactly, but I had a feeling you were somebody in a position of power. You have that look about you."

"I look powerful?" Rick questioned, smiling.

"You look like a leader," Mia corrected with a short nod and she knew she'd been right when Rick didn't voice any objections. She looked down at Judith and smiled when the child met her eyes. "She's been so quiet since I got a hold of her." Mia glanced up at Rick and he nodded.

"She was never been much of a crier," Rick acknowledged.

"That must have been such a relief," Mia said, holding his gaze.

"It was," he told her, nodding weakly.

"So, what made you retreat this far from the front lines?" She gestured around the room they were standing in, which was almost empty beside three other Alexandrians who were talking in the opposite corner.

Rick took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling accordingly as he glanced towards the living room where most of the crowd was. "I guess I'm just not used to it yet."

"I get it," Mia said. She turned her shoulders to watch the rest of the partygoers. "But they're not that bad and despite popular belief, they don't bite."

"Thanks for the notice," Rick responded with a small smirk.

"I just mean that it's not that hard to talk to them," Mia explained as she looked back at Rick for a moment. "They all have stories about their experiences after the outbreak and it's almost a relief to hear that not everyone had it as bad as some of us."

"A relief?" Rick asked, studying Mia's expression for any sign of deception.

She nodded and pursed her lips together. "Just look at them. They're good people, Rick. They've managed to put aside all their differences that could have ruined this community and become something better than anything I have ever found outside those walls. And deep down I think they know what's out there. They're just desperate to keep a hold of the hope that it will get better."

"It won't," Rick murmured, his expression turning serious. Mia wasn't shaken by the intensity of his blue eyes that were trained on her, though. She held her ground just like her mother had and even tilted her chin into the air slightly.

"I know," Mia breathed. "But like I said, they're good people. They don't deserve to die—none of us do and I'm willing to fight for that belief. I'm willing to fight for them."

"Why?" Rick asked as he took a step towards her. He subconsciously became aware of how close he was now standing to Mia, but he didn't feel the need to back away just yet.

"Because no one ever fought for me," Mia murmured and Rick let out a silent breath when he realized she was telling the truth. He knew because he could see that it pained her to admit it and he knew he could risk trusting her.

Their gazes parted when Judith began to fuss in Mia's arms.

"Do you want to take her?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah," Rick nodded and put down the empty bottle he'd been holding. They stepped even closer to each other, closing most of the space between them, and Mia held out Judith for Rick to take from her. He slipped his hands around his daughter, his arms brushing against Mia's briefly as they got caught up in the exchange briefly. Rick looked down at Mia as she started to pull away and she held his gaze. They both felt the pace of their heartbeats quicken at that moment and Rick decided not to over think the situation. He chose to do what he was being led to do without hesitation or debating the consequences. He tilted his head and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, lingering in the moment for a few extra seconds.

Mia inhaled silently when Rick pulled away slowly, Judith now securely in his arms. She pressed her lips together as the corners twitched up into a small smile. They held each others gaze as Mia backed away through the room, giving him a nod goodbye before turning and moving out of his sight. Rick stood unmoving for a while, trying to discern what it was exactly that made him kiss her, but he couldn't accept the only reasonable answers that came to mind. He sighed heavily and pressed a kiss to Judith's head before turning to look out the window once more.

* * *

It was odd to see his dad actually talking to someone outside of their family. It was even more unusual to see that it was a girl—or woman. Carl recognized her, of course. Amelia Monroe was the latest arrival at the safe-zone and she also happened to be Deanna and Reg's daughter. Carl's dad had told him and the rest of their group all the details he'd learned about her, but it was minimal. All he really knew about her was that she was happy to be back with her family. At least that's what it looked like.

Carl tried to stay interested in his conversation with Ron and Mikey, but he found himself continuing to look over his shoulder at his father and his new friend. He wasn't surprised to see that she was the latest person to get her hands on Judith. Ever since news about his sister's existence spread through Alexandria, people had been trying non-stop to hold her and play with her. It had been a long time since they'd all seen a baby, and Carl guessed that also applied to Amelia.

When Ron and Mikey insisted they go into another room to play cards, Carl told them he'd join them later. He hung back in the room, just far enough away from his dad to see his interaction with Amelia. He was pleasantly surprised to see his dad smile several times within a few minutes. Carl was content with watching from afar, he just wished he knew what they were talking about—how Amelia was able to get his father to say more than just a couple sentences.

Carl's eyes widened slightly when Amelia went to pass Judith to his father and in return his dad kissed her on the cheek. It was the first time he'd seen his dad show any real affection towards a woman since his mother died. And while it brought back a painful memory, Carl reminded himself that he only wanted his dad to be happy in Alexandria and he was willing to do anything to make sure that happened—even if it meant accepting Amelia into their close-knit family.

 _There's always room_ , Carl told himself as he watched Amelia walk away from his dad.

 _There's always room_ , Carl repeated to himself before making a beeline for the older woman.

Mia came to an abrupt stop when Carl stepped in front of her, but she had no problem recognizing him. Her mind immediately went back a few minutes to her interaction with Rick, silently worrying that his son had seen them.

"Hi," Mia greeted with a polite smile. She wasn't sure where her conversation with Carl would go, but she was happy to get the chance to talk with someone else who'd been outside the walls.

"I'm Carl," he responded, holding out a hand for her to shake. She obliged and smirked at his manners.

"I'm Amelia, but all everyone calls me Mia," she told him as she shook his hand a couple times and they released at the same time.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Carl said, his blue eyes holding her gaze, reminding her of his father.

"You too," Mia agreed with a short nod. "My mom's told me about all of you."

"You watched the tapes, didn't you?" Carl probed with an understanding smile.

"No, actually, I haven't," Mia responded. "My mom wanted me to, but I opted into getting to know people the old fashion way; actual human interaction."

"Good idea," Carl chuckled. "So, what should I know about you?"

Mia pressed her lips into a taught line as she took a moment to think about the question. "Well, I was studying to be a doctor before the outbreak, I'm 23 years old, and I've seen and done a lot shitty things out there—excuse my language," she added quickly.

"I think everyone who's been outside those walls for some time has had to do some shitty things just to survive," Carl responded without hesitation and Mia sighed.

"Very eloquently put," Mia complimented. "I have a feeling you're smarter than some of the adults around here."

Carl shrugged. "I might be, but who knows?"

"Right." Mia nodded as she raked her fingers through her bangs. "So, what should I know about you?"

"I was a middle-school student before the outbreak, I'm 15 years old, and I've seen and done a lot of shitty things out there as well," Carl told her, smiling lightly as he finished his sentence.

"Please tell me you knew that word existed before I said it." Mia looked down at Carl with a raised eyebrow.

"I did," Carl said.

Mia smiled as she nodded shortly. "Well, I'll see you around, Carl, and it was nice getting to know you a little better." She took a step towards the front door, hoping to get some fresh air and a break from the party for a while.

"I had to kill my mom," Carl admitted just loud enough for Mia to hear. She stopped dead in her tracks and faced the teenager, her lips already pressed together. She didn't need to know why he had to take his mothers life. But no child would unjustly murder his mother if he truly loved her, and Mia could see that Carl loved his mother.

"You didn't have to tell me that," she told him as their eyes met.

"I wanted to," Carl responded. "It was on my tape anyways."

"You still didn't have to tell me, Carl," Mia said.

"I wanted to."

Mia glanced around the room, grateful to see that everyone was still immersed in their own conversations. She looked back at Carl as compassion filled her eyes. "I am truly sorry for your loss. For what it's worth, I know what it's like to kill someone you love. And being able to do that makes you one of the strongest people I have ever met."

"I saw what my dad did," Carl admitted, gesturing over his shoulder. Mia sighed silently as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I was being honest with him and I think him doing that was just his way of thanking me," Mia told the young teen sincerely.

"I figured it was something like that," Carl said. "But I just need you to know that I want my dad to be happy and if he has to find someone new to love then that's okay with me."

"Carl—"

"I know it's not like that, but I needed you to hear that just in case," Carl explained.

Mia bit her lower lip hesitantly, but forced herself to nod.

"I think you should come over tomorrow," Carl told her. "Everyone really wants to meet you."

"You might want to ask your dad first," Mia responded coolly.

"He'll say yes," Carl said with utmost confidence.

"What makes you say that?" Mia probed.

"It's pretty easy to see that you're a lot like us," Carl told her as looked at her with his intense blue eyes that matched Rick's. "You'll fit right in."

"Okay," Mia agreed quietly.

* * *

Rick kept his gaze on the houses ahead as he walked back towards his own home, having just returned from another meeting with Carol and Daryl in the woods. Carol had managed to do what she had set out to, retrieving several spare weapons they could use in case of an emergency. He knew it was now officially his duty to keep the safe-zone conflict free, but he felt better knowing he had the extra gun. This way, he could really protect his family and not just pretend like he could.

His train of thought was brought back to the present when he spotted Mia exiting her house. She was dressed in jeans and a simple black t-shirt with her brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. She wasn't nearly as dressed up as she was for the party the night before, but he still could not ignore her natural beauty. Rick came to a stop as she hopped down the steps, coming to stand a few feet in front of him.

"Morning," she greeted with a small smile. She sized him up in his new constable uniform and smirked lightly. She could always admire a man in uniform.

"Morning." Rick nodded.

"I don't know if Carl mentioned anything, but he invited me over yesterday," Mia said.

"He told me, and it's perfectly okay," Rick told her, causing Mia to smile again.

"Good to hear," she remarked, running a hand through her bangs. "Well, I'm giving some shooting lessons to a friend this morning, but I'll be able to come over some time after lunch."

"Sounds like a plan." Rick hooked a thumb through his belt as he smiled lightly. The gesture seemed to be coming more naturally to him these days.

"Okay," Mia sighed.

"You ready to go, Mia?"

Rick turned his head to see the same young man from the party heading towards them. The guy wasn't paying any attention to Rick though. He was looking only at Mia.

"Yes, I am," Mia nodded to her friend. "We just have to stop by the armory first."

"Right," the Alexandrian replied as he pointed to her.

"Uh, Max, have you met Rick yet?" Mia asked as she gestured between the two men. Max shook his head and held out his hand towards Rick. Rick narrowed his eyes at the hand, but eventually took it and gave it a few sturdy shakes. "Well, Max, this is Rick, our new sheriff and Rick, this is Max. He's Alexandria's personal mechanic."

"Nice to meet you, man," Max said as he released Rick's hand.

"Same," Rick responded, dropping his hand back to his side.

"I'll see you later, Rick," Mia said, turning her attention back to the new constable.

She was pleasantly surprised when he stepped towards her, grabbing her arm lightly before placing a kiss on her cheek. Mia leaned her head into it slightly, closing her eyes for a second as she allowed him repeat the tender gesture from the previous night. There was no denying that he made her heart beat a little faster every time he got within arms length of her, but she was barely remembering what it was like to be around people, let alone have romantic feelings for someone. She'd put on a good show the night before and somehow she was still able to keep it up the entire time, but she had no idea how much longer it would last. Her sleep was filled with nightmares and flashes of time from her past, and if that ever seeped into her mind while she was awake, she knew it be catastrophic for the new self she was trying to portray to the Alexandrians. Mia didn't want to have to be the person she became on the outside. But deep down she knew it was only a matter of time.

"Bye," Rick murmured, pulling her thoughts back to him. She waved goodbye and turned to leave with Max

Rick watched as they walked down the street together. He couldn't help but notice how close they were walking to each other. Rick absentmindedly reached for the spare gun tucked into the back of his belt. He kept his hand on the weapon until Mia and Max disappeared around the corner.

Rick wasn't sure what it was he was starting to feel for Mia, but he thought that it felt like something he hadn't experienced in a long time; jealousy. But then he thought back to the party.

 _Because no one ever fought for me_ , Mia had told him.

He wasn't jealous of Max. At least, that's what he told himself. He just wanted to show Mia what it was like to have people fight for her and Max would never be able to do that. Rick knew he could and would if she needed him to.

 _But what if she needed more than just someone to fight for her?_ Rick asked himself. _What if she needed someone to save her from herself?_

 **A/N: I was very uncertain about this chapter – I was trying to get it done quickly so I'm sorry for any mistakes and/or if it felt rushed. I hope you all enjoyed it anyways!**

 **And I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, or reviewed this story so far. It's been great encouragement. So, thank you!**

 **Please make sure to favorite or follow if you enjoy this story and have not done so already. And reviews always give me inspiration for the next chapter and help me get them up faster and I appreciate the feedback. Also, I've decided that this is just going to be a Rick/OC fic so that will be the main relationship that I will work to develop romantically. Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3

Set during 5x14 "Spend"

 _My past has tasted bitter for years now_

 _So I wield an iron fist_

 _Grace is just weakness_

 _Or so I've been told_

 _I've been cold, I've been merciless_

 _But the blood on my hands scares me to death_

 _Maybe I'm waking up today_

" _I'll Be Good" – Jaymes Young_

Chapter 3 – The Blood on My Hands Scares Me to Death

Amelia leaned her head against the window, watching the trees rush by outside as the car sped down the deserted road. She continued to run her fingers absentmindedly over the blood-stained leather bracelet that was wrapped around her wrist. That afternoon she had left Alexandria in a group of seven, but only five were returning. It was a fact that Mia had yet to accept as her mind continued to go over to what had occurred in the last few hours alone. She didn't bother wasting her time, dreaming of the chance to change the past. She had seen it all play out before her very eyes and she knew what she had to do when she returned home. She just wasn't ready to mourn the losses yet.

Mia's brown eyes landed on Glenn who was driving the large van. He looked a lot like her in that moment, sitting there with his arms covered in blood halfway up to his elbows and no emotions behind his eyes. He was just staring blankly at the road ahead.

"He's never leaving that place again," Mia murmured quietly.

"What?" Glenn asked, barely taking a moment to glance in her direction. They were all running on fumes at this point, ready for the day to be over.

"Nicholas," Mia answered as her gaze flickered to the rearview mirror. She could see Eugene cowered in the corner of the van, pointing a gun at the unconscious man lying beside Tara. If she could choose who would live and who would die between the two, she would choose Tara in a heartbeat. She had just met the girl formally that morning, but Mia already knew that she was a better, stronger person than Nicholas could ever be.

"I thought you were going to make sure he was going to die," Glenn said, gripping the steering wheel tightly for a moment. He half-agreed with the younger girl that Nicholas should be executed for what he did, but the other part of him was still trying to convince him to give the man another chance.

"My mom will never execute him or even give the order to have it done for her," Mia sighed as she ran a hand through her blood-streaked bangs and tilted her head against the window. "But if I can't convince her to exile him at least, then I will do everything I can to make sure he never gets someone killed again."

"How are you going to do that?" Glenn asked. He gave her a sidelong glance and she met his gaze a second later, barely shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know, but I'll break both of his legs if I have to, and if that doesn't work I'll put a bullet between his eyes," Mia answered, showing no sign of remorse for her candor. Glenn sighed heavily as he returned his attention to the road ahead.

"There's been enough blood spilt because of him," Glenn told her.

Amelia swallowed hard as she dropped her eyes to her lap. Her hands and arms were so thickly tainted with blood that she could no longer see her own skin. The crimson stains were so deeply set that she couldn't remove them just by rubbing them with her hands. She knew most of it belonged to Aiden, but some also belonged to Tara and herself. And while she stared at the blood she was wearing she couldn't tell any of it apart. It was just all mixed together there on her arm, a constant reminder of what they had been through and who they'd lost.

"It's never going to be enough," Amelia said with unwavering certainty.

* * *

 **A few hours earlier…**

"We're not driving all that way just so we can drive back with the wrong shit," Aiden said, smiling smugly before handing Noah and Amelia another pair of guns and silencers. His sister returned his smile as she weighed the weapon in her hand, happy to be able to defend herself again.

"It's a dozen of these," Eugene told him, holding up a black square device with a wire coming out of one side. "They are consistent in appearance across all manufactures. The shit will be right." He looked at Noah and Mia when Aiden started to walk away. "I will install said shit and the grid will be fully operational."

"Just take the gun, Eugene," Amelia sighed as she pressed one of her guns to his chest with a tilt of her head. The taller man hesitated, but eventually managed to wrap a hand around the weapon. Amelia gave him an encouraging smile as she patted him on the shoulder. "There you go."

She tucked the other gun she was holding into its holster and turned on her heels, coming face to face with her mom and dad. She put on her most convincing smile as they pulled her into consecutive hugs, Reg placing a kiss on her forehead as she stepped back from their embrace. Amelia couldn't help but smile genuinely. Her father had always kissed her forehead instead of her cheek. It was just another thing she had come to miss after being separated from her family for years.

"You guys got everything?" Reg asked as Aiden walked up beside his younger sister.

"First aide kit, yellow pages," Amelia began.

"Glenn made a check-list," Aiden finished. "We're good. I swear."

"I know," Reg said. "I'm just a worrier. That's how that wall wound up around us."

"Take care of each other, okay?" Deanna addressed her children and the siblings nodded in response.

"We always do," Aiden told his mother as he leaned in to kiss her goodbye on the cheek.

"You ready?" Aiden asked Mia once their farewells were done.

"Ready as I'll ever be," his sister shrugged as they started towards the van. Aiden wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"Aw. You don't need to be afraid, Mia Bug. I got your back," Aiden teased as he ruffled her hair like he used to do when she was little.

She elbowed him as hard as she could in ribs without doing any real damage and shoved him away from her lightly. "Jack-ass."

"Love you too, sis," Aiden chuckled. "Love you, too."

"You're lucky I don't feed you to the walkers," Mia quipped as she tossed her backpack into the back of the van.

"You won't get the chance. We'll be in and out of there before you know it," Aiden told her, completely confident.

Mia laughed lightly as she looked up at her brother. "You better have not just jinxed the whole thing."

* * *

The music eliminated any chance for conversation during the ride to the warehouse. Amelia's brother continued to blast it even after they were miles away from Alexandria. Mia tried to get him to turn it down, but he just smiled and shook his head. After that, she decided to sit back and try to enjoy the rest of the drive, watching as the world outside raced by her window. She was happy to feel the wind blow against her face, though. After months of traveling on foot, it was good to be able to travel by car again.

Amelia pressed her lips into a faint smile as she looked into the rearview mirror, her gaze landing on the five other people joining her and Aiden on the run to find spare parts for the power grid. She watched Glenn and Noah for a minute and then turned her attention to Tara and Eugene. They'd all come from the same group of survivors, but, in hindsight, they couldn't be more different from each other. She could only guess how they managed to end up in the same group, fighting to stay alive together. But at least she knew a little more about their family after her visit earlier that day.

 _Carl was the one to come to the door when she knocked. He smiled once she caught his gaze with hers and said a quick hello before stepping aside to let her into the house. Amelia sucked in a silent breath when she saw that their living room was filled with people she recognized like Rick and Daryl and Carol, but there were also a few faces she had yet to put a name to. She plastered on her best shy, sincere smile as Carl made the introductions, but knew it would take a while for her to memorize all the names._

 _She realized pretty quickly that these people weren't that comfortable around strangers, though. Most of them couldn't keep their watchful gazes off her, as if they were waiting for her to make some drastic move. Amelia knew they wouldn't buy her pretty smiles like the rest of Alexandria so she just sat down beside Carl and waited for him to tell her why she was there. She knew that he wanted his family to get to know her better, but what exactly did they need to know? Everything?_

" _How are you today?" Carol asked politely with a tender smile. Amelia turned her gaze to the older woman. She knew the woman was putting up an act, but she would be the last person to expose her. If anything, she might have been the only one to truly understand why she was doing it._

" _Good," Amelia answered as she sat back on the couch. "I gave a friend his first shooting lesson and had lunch with my family—something I haven't done in years."_

" _You must be so happy to be back after so long." Carol nodded understandingly._

 _Amelia smiled as she returned the gesture. "I am."_

" _Has your mom given you a job yet?" Carl asked, giving the older girl a sidelong glance._

" _No," Amelia responded. "She said she hasn't made a final decision about what would be the best choice for me."_

" _Wha' da hell does that mean?" The large burly ginger asked from the corner of the room._

" _It means she doesn't know her own daughter anymore," the woman Amelia had come to know as Michonne said bluntly._

" _Michonne," Carl murmured as he looked up at the dark-skinned woman, but Amelia looked at him and shrugged._

" _No, she's right," Amelia said. "My mom—my family, they don't know me. They know almost everything they could know_ about _me, but they don't_ know _me. My mom hates not knowing me and she won't give me a job until she thinks she does."_

" _Did you let her interview you on camera?" Noah asked next._

" _Yeah," Mia told him, "with my whole family watching."_

" _And you were okay with that?" One of the younger women in the room asked her from her seat beside the burly ginger._

" _The only way they're going to make the permanent changes they need to make around here to survive is if they know what's out there—what I've had to endure just so I could live to see another day," Amelia explained calmly._

" _Have you asked her the questions?" Michonne asked as her eyes fell on Carl. The teen shook his head and looked up at his father. Rick was the one who typically asked the three questions and decided if the answers were acceptable or not._

" _What questions?" Amelia questioned. Carl raised an eyebrow in his dad's direction._

" _You want to do the honors?"_

 _Rick sighed as he nodded and went to sit on the coffee table in front of Amelia. He'd asked a number of people the same three questions over the last two years, but he was rarely so curious to know the answers._

 _Amelia arched an eyebrow as Rick met her gaze. He cleared his throat and leaned forward a little before starting the short questionnaire. "How many walkers have you killed?"_

" _Not enough."_

" _How many people have you killed?"_

" _Too many to count," Amelia responded without a moment's hesitation._

" _Why?" Rick asked,_

 _Amelia's brown eyes met Rick's blue ones as she leaned towards him, ignoring the countless other gazes falling on her. "I made a promise to do whatever it took to survive. Turns out, I had to become a killer to keep that promise."_

It was no mistake that she told them the truth. If anyone in Alexandria would be able to understand her past actions, it would be them and she knew that the second she walked into their house. And it took a while, but eventually the conversation became more and more open as the minutes turned into hours. By the end of her visit, she'd learned quite a few things about Rick's family and in turn they'd learned quite a few things about her.

That's why she felt pretty comfortable going on the run with the members from Rick's group. Their experience led her to believe that they'd all return from the supply run safely and unharmed. She never expected things to take a turn for the worst just because there was a coward amongst them.

Amelia had been at the mercy of cowards before and she'd come to know one important thing; the world has no room for them.

* * *

After doing a perimeter check around the outside of the warehouse, they'd realize there was only one truly safe exit and it also happened to be the one they had entered through. Glenn attempted to lure any straggler walkers before he led the group inside. They split up into smaller groups as they began to wander through the number of aisles, searching for lone walkers. Amelia was relieved to see that for the most part it was rather empty. Glenn was the first one to hear the faint sound of walker snarls and they quickly stumbled upon a small horde trapped behind a metal link fence.

They split off into pairs of two, with Mia being the third wheel to Tara and Eugene's duo and started to look for the parts Eugene needed to get the power grid going again. Mia thought the supply run might take a little longer than Aiden first suggested after seeing how many boxes were stacked up inside. They moved fast, though, and Eugene spotted the correct box within the first half-hour.

Tara helped him load up his bag with what he needed as Mia started back towards her brother. She stopped short when she saw Aiden struggling to take down a walker. She was tempted to do it herself with her knife even though she knew Aiden could handle it himself. It wasn't until the walker was on the floor that she saw the grenades strapped to it's chest. The next shot Aiden fired hit grenade. She didn't even have time to brace herself for the explosion.

She was thrown back, suddenly. She felt her head hit something hard a second later and everything went black.

* * *

There was no disorientation when Amelia finally gained consciousness. She knew exactly where she was and she knew that it was Aiden who'd caused the explosion. It was only after she realized her brother wasn't with them in the small room she'd woken up in that she began to panic.

"Where's my brother?" She asked out loud, expecting anyone to answer. When no one did she rolled her hand into a fist, clenching it tightly. "Where is Aiden?!"

"He's dead," Nicholas blurted from his spot by the window.

"No," Mia responded quickly, shaking her head. "No. He can't be dead. Just tell me where he is and I can go get him."

"Mia, I'm sorry, but he was killed when the grenade went off," Glenn said, and Mia could see he was telling the truth.

"Where is he?" She asked shakily. "We need to get his body. I have to take it home so we can—so we—we can bury him." Amelia was near tears by the time she finished the sentence, fighting the urge to cry and scream all at once. She had promised her parents that she'd look after him and now—now he was dead and she had nothing to bring home to her family.

"We can't," Nicholas snapped. "There are too many roamers out there."

Glenn shot Nicholas a sharp look, fighting the urge to punch him in the face and turned back to Mia. "Look, we'll do what we can to get your brother's body, but there are walkers out there and Tara is hurt."

"What?" Mia breathed and looked over her shoulder when Glenn gestured behind her. Surely enough Tara was lying on the metal table in the middle of the room, blood pouring from a deep wound on her forehead. Mia stepped towards the young woman and tried to get a better look at the cut.

"What are you doin'?" Eugene questioned as she reached a hand towards Tara.

"I was studying pre-med at Harvard before the world went to shit so I'm trying to save her life. If you've got a problem with that then too fucking bad," Mia said, giving Eugene the harshest glare she could muster up at the moment. They'd already lost Aiden. She wasn't going to let them give up another life just for some stupid power grid.

Eugene sighed heavily before stepping back a considerable distance. Mia lifted the makeshift bandage and gasped when she saw exactly how bad the wound was. She could feel her own head pounding, telling her that she also had some type of head injury, but she was going to put all of her attention on Tara for now. She had plenty of time to help herself later.

"Can you help her?" Noah asked from behind her.

Mia hesitated to answer as she glanced around the room, searching for anything she could use to help slow the bleeding to close the wound temporarily. She shook her head when she realized there was nothing. "Not here. She must have gotten knocked against one of the aisles. She has severe head trauma and an obvious concussion. There could be more damage to her skull or brain-swelling. I can't do much for her here except apply pressure and pray that the bleeding stops." She ran her fingers through her bangs as she tried to think of anything else that could help the girl lying before her survive, leaving behind a streak of blood in her hair. Mia turned to Glenn when she remembered the list of things they brought with them. "We brought a med-kit, didn't we?"

"Aiden had it. It got blown to hell," Nicholas said. "We have another one in the van."

"She's not going to be able to hold on much longer. We need to get her to the van or she'll die," Mia told the group.

"We'll get her there," Glenn responded with no hint of doubt.

Mia pressed her lips into a thin line as she tried to wrap Tara's head with the cloth she had on hand as tightly as she could. Tara had to get back to Alexandria and the only way that was going to happen is if Mia could get the blood flow to stop or at least slow down significantly.

She'd just finished dressing Tara's wound when she heard the pain-fueled groans coming from outside the little office they were hiding in.

"Oh, Jesus," Nicholas muttered.

"Aiden's alive?" Mia asked as she rushed towards the window, knowing it was the only reasonable explanation. She gasped when she saw him impaled on several metal poles. She didn't have to hear him to know he was in constant pain and she knew she was going to try to save his life.

"I checked him," Nicholas explained. "I thought—I thought I—I—"

"We have to go get him," Mia pleaded as she faced Glenn. She was going to go and try to rescue her brother no matter what, but it was Glenn who would make the final decision if anyone was going to join her.

Glenn met her eyes and nodded. "It's going to take at least three of us."

"We got that kind of time?" Noah asked, referencing Tara's condition.

"I can't make that—" Mia started.

"If we pull Aiden off that thing, he could die," Nicholas argued.

Mia turned on him, anger contorting her features. "Are you trying to tell me that you want to leave my brother behind?"

"Go! Save him!" Eugene urged suddenly. They all looked at him to see that he was leaning over Tara, keeping a helpful hand pressed over the bandage Mia had replaced on her. "She'd do it. I know she would." He looked up from Tara at the rest of the hesitant group. "I'll stay with her. I'll keep her safe. I assure you. I will."

"Alright," Glenn said. He gestured to Mia and Noah. "We'll knock them back." He glanced over at Nicholas. "Do you still have that flare?"

"Yeah," Nicholas nodded weakly.

"Okay, you fire that flare over the shelves," Glenn instructed as he walked towards the door. "It'll pull some of them over." He glanced between Mia and Noah as the two younger adults prepped themselves to take on the walkers outside. "We're going to take on the rest hand to hand, you ready?"

It didn't take as long as Mia had expected for them to reach Aiden. Surprisingly, Nicholas fired the flare in the opposite direction like he was told to do and they made a run for the older of the Monroe siblings. They had to take out a few walkers, but it wasn't anything more than they could handle just the four of them.

Mia reached Aiden first, surveying the damage before looking up at him. She tried to smile despite the tears that were already making their way down her face and the pure fear starting to rise up in her chest.

"Hey, big bro," Mia said, forcing herself to laugh lightly. "Don't you worry. We're going to get you out of here and we're going to go home together. Okay?"

Aiden groaned as he nodded, showing his sister that it was not going to be easy getting him off the pieces of metal.

"Your sister's right," Glenn told him as he stepped up beside Mia. "We're going to get you off these things, but you have to try to stay quiet, alright?"

"Okay," Aiden agreed through his gritted teeth.

Mia, Glenn and Nicholas each grabbed a part of Aiden and counted to three before pulling on him hard. They all winced when he cried out in pain.

"The flare," Noah shouted, "they're burning out!"

Glenn and Mia took a deep breath in unison as they braced themselves to give Aiden another pull, but Nicholas stepped back, his head whipping around anxiously.

"We're not going to make it," Nicholas told the others.

Mia didn't hesitate to grab him the collar of his shirt and yank him towards her. "We are, but only if you help us. So take a deep breath, pull yourself together, and fucking help us!"

"Fine," Nicholas grunted as Mia let go of him and turned back to her brother.

"Don't leave me," Aiden pleaded with his friend as they all grabbed onto him.

"Okay," Nicholas told him, but when Mia looked over her shoulder at him she could still see the hesitation and doubt plainly written in his expression.

Gunshots started to ring out behind them as they started to pull on Aiden again, this time sliding him even a little farther off the metal. Mia noticed the second Nicholas stopped pulling. She watched in complete dismay as he leaned close to her brother and lowered his voice to a whisper she could barely understand.

"You left them. We both did. That's who we are," Nicholas whispered as he began to pull away from Aiden, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry." He turned to Mia and Glenn next. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Glenn tried to grab for the man, but he stepped out of his grasp and started off towards the front of the warehouse, never looking back. Mia watched him disappear behind an aisle, still completely shocked at his illustration of pure cowardice. Mia thought that there could be no one like that left in a world like this. Glenn pulled her on the arm to get her attention back to her brother. They each grabbed one of Aiden's arms and placed their other hands behind his back, pulling to get him off the metal on which he was impaled.

"They're coming!" Noah shouted as the horde of walkers seemed to multiply behind them.

"It's okay, it's okay," Aiden heaved. He looked between his sister and Glenn as he took a few shallow breaths. "It—it was us—the others, before. Th—they didn't panic. We did. It was us." He took another deep breath and looked right at Glenn. "Take Mia, and go. Keep her safe, please."

"No," Mia pleaded as she started to pull on Aiden again. She wasn't going to give up until they were either both dead or both walking out of the warehouse alive. "We're not leaving you."

Aiden used one of his hands to cup the side of her face and the other to push something into her hand. "I'm sorry I won't be here to protect you, but I love you, little sis. And I'm so proud of you. Never forget that, okay? Never!"

"No, Aiden. I made a promise to mom and dad. I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving you!" Mia cried as she continued to try to pull her brother loose even though, deep down, she knew it was no use. Aiden was going to die and there was nothing she'd learned in the last two years that could keep that from happening.

"Take her, Glenn. Get her out of here, please!" Aiden shouted as the horde of walkers started to close in on them.

"No, no, no," Mia cried as she stepped close enough to her brother to kiss him on the cheek. She sobbed when she felt him tilt his head against hers and pressed a kiss to her cheek in response. "I'm sorry."

"Don't blame yourself. This is my fault. I love you, Mia Bug," Aiden murmured against her ear before she was pulled away by Glenn.

"They're here! We gotta go!" Noah shouted nearly a second later.

He grabbed onto Glenn's shoulder as the older man struggled to keep a hold of Mia. He lost his grip on her for a split second and she took the chance to step away from him and pull the gun out of the holster on her hip. She raised the weapon to eye level and aimed it straight at Aiden's head. She steeled herself and took a deep breath, squeezing the trigger as she let it out. She felt her heart break when the bullet hit her brother straight between the eyes, killing him right before the walkers could rip into him.

Mia brought hand over her mouth as her entire body shook with a heavy sob. Glenn grabbed her arm a moment later and began pulling her behind him and Noah. He knew there was no way she was going to be able to pull herself together at a time like this, but that's exactly what he needed her to do if they were going to make it out of there alive.

* * *

Eugene kept the car moving slowly around the warehouse as he continued to look for Glenn or anyone else who'd gone on the run with them. He didn't allow himself to jump to the conclusion that they could've died even after he had led half of the walkers away. So, he stayed in the parking lot, waiting for the moment Glenn would come running from around the corner with the rest of their group on his heels and they would drive out of there like a bat out of hell. They would need to go soon, though, if they wanted to get back to Alexandria in time to save Tara. The head wound had yet to stop bleeding, but Eugene knew there was still a chance for her to live and he was going to hold onto that hope until the end.

"Hey! Hey!" Nicholas shouted as he came running towards the car, coming to an abrupt stop by Eugene's window. "Move over! We're leaving!"

Eugene shut off the engine as Nicholas opened his door and stepped out. A small part of him was relieved to see that Nicholas had survived, but his train of thought went immediately to the others that had been with him only moments before.

"Get back in the van!" Nicholas commanded loudly.

"Not until you tell me where they are," Eugene retorted remaining planted in his spot, blocking Nicholas from getting into the driver's seat.

"Either you come back with me," Nicholas said between heavy breaths, "or you stay here and you die with your friends. Those are your choices."

Eugene held the shorter man's relentless gaze for a moment before reaching for the gun tucked into the front of his pants. Nicholas realized what Eugene was trying to do and ripped it from his hands, pushing him to the floor roughly. He jumped into the driver's seat and reached for the keys resting in the ignition. But before he could wrap his fingers around it, two hands dug into the shirt on his back and around his arm, the person pulling him out of the car quickly. Nicholas grunted as he landed on the floor and looked up to see who had been the one to hinder his escape.

"You're a fucking coward!" Amelia screamed at him before cocking her bloody arm and bringing it down on Nicholas' face as hard as she could. She dropped to her knees and pulled back her arm again, landing another solid punch across the man's cheek. "We trusted you, you son of a bitch! You should have been the one to die in there! Not Aiden! Not Noah! You!"

Amelia went to hit Nicholas again, but Glenn grabbed her around the stomach and yanked her to her feet before she could. She ripped herself from his grasp and turned on him, her bloodied face contorting with rage.

"My brother! Noah! They are dead because of him!" She shouted at Glenn as she pointed at Nicholas, who was lying unconscious on the floor behind her. "He deserves to die!"

"If you kill him, you will have to live with that choice for the rest of your life. Aiden wouldn't have wanted that for you!" Glenn responded quickly, his eyes filling with compassion and sorrow as his mind went back to the two people they'd lost because of Nicholas. He hated the man, but something was holding him back from killing him. "Aiden asked me to keep you safe and to get you out of here. That's all I'm trying to do right now."

Amelia's shoulders trembled as she took a shaky, deep breath. She gritted her teeth and looked over her shoulder at Nicholas, exhaling slowly. She pursed her lips into a thin line and turned her gaze back to Glenn. "He deserves to die—and that is what I'm going to tell my parents when they ask what happened."

"Mia," Glenn called after the younger girl as she started to turn towards the car. He swallowed dryly when she met his eyes. "Everybody deserves a second chance."

"Not anymore," she deadpanned and Glenn knew she would make good on her word. He watched as she gave Nicholas another sharp look and slid into the van, slamming the door shut behind her.

 **I know there were barely any Rick/Mia scenes in this chapter, but there will be a lot more in the next chapter. I decided to skip the Noah death scene because I didn't think I could do it justice. The next chapter should be up in a week.**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Sorry for any mistakes. Reviews, follows, and favorites are always encouraged and appreciated. They help the creative process. Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4

Set during the beginning of 5x15 "Try"

 _She shoots to kill and aims to please_

 _You can see it in her eyes_

 _It's not something that she likes_

" _Rolling Stone" – Hurts_

Chapter 4 – She Shoots to Kill and Aims to Please

 _Aiden's dead._

Mia continued to think about her brother as she sat on the porch, absentmindedly massaging the scar behind her ear. It was older than most of the other scars that decorated her body. She remembered the pain she had felt when she received the initial wound and how it elicited quite a few screams and tears. But it could never match the pain she felt when she thought about Aiden.

Mia knew what would have happened if she hadn't shot him, ending his life before the walkers reached him. They would have torn him apart; slowly and painfully. So, the obvious conclusion was that she had to do it. She had no other choice.

But no matter how many times she told herself that, it always felt far from the truth.

Mia let out a tired sigh and squeezed her eyes shut. She opened them as she rolled her head back on her shoulders, her gaze landing on the sky above.

"I can't lose anyone else," she whispered to whatever force was controlling her fate. "If you need a life, take mine. Leave the rest of my family alone. _Please_."

She turned her head towards the house when she heard the door open behind her. She was relieved to see that it was her brother, Spencer.

Mia forced a weak smile and gestured to the spot on the porch next to her. Spencer lowered himself down beside her a moment later and Mia instinctively leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her even closer.

"Why do you think mom burned the note?" Spencer asked quietly as he angled his head against Mia's.

"Because she's angry," Mia answered. A slow silence passed between them.

Spencer exhaled. "You should let her take your statement on camera."

Mia scoffed. "No. I told all of you what happened and if she doesn't believe me, then that's her problem."

Her brother hesitated to reveal the bit of information on the tip of his tongue. "She sent me to get Nicholas and bring him back here so he could give his statement."

"I figured as much," Mia shrugged, unsurprised. Spencer pulled away from her and they looked at each other.

"I thought you'd be angry. I thought you hated him," Spencer told her.

"Any time spent hating him is too much time. I know what needs to be done and I'll make sure it happens," Mia said, her eyes still locked on her brother's.

Spencer swallowed hard. He'd never seen that kind of look in her eyes—that kind of determination.

"Just—" Spencer paused, thinking about his word choice "—be careful."

"I always am," Mia said with a small smile.

"I have to get Nicholas," Spencer said, standing up slowly. He looked down at his sister and gave her a concerned smile. "You should probably take a shower."

Mia dropped her gaze to her arms that were resting in her lap and sighed silently. They were still tinted with dried blood that mostly belonged to Aiden and Tara. Once they arrived back at the safe-zone, Mia helped Pete, the local surgeon, stabilize Tara, which only added a fresh layer of blood to her hands. Afterwards, she was whisked back home by her parents where she told recounted the day's events.

As she sat with her family, she tried to tap into what she'd felt back at the warehouse after shooting Aiden, but it was as if she'd used up all her tears, and instead all she felt was numb. She excused herself shortly there after and went to get some fresh air. She had grown so accustomed to the extra weight of dirt and blood constantly clinging to her skin that she forgot she hadn't showered yet.

"That would also give me an excuse to avoid seeing Nicholas," Mia agreed, nodding as she stood from the porch.

"I thought you said…"

"I might not hate him, but that doesn't mean I want to see him after he got Aiden and Noah killed," Mia answered. "And neither should you."

"I'm just doing what mom asked," Spencer said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"So, you don't believe me either," his sister sighed.

"I do, Mia," Spencer told her with utmost confidence. "Because I know you'd never lie about this."

"Thank you," Mia murmured in response. "I just wish that mom saw it that way."

"She's got her political mindset," Spencer reminded his sister. "She wants to believe you, but she needs to hear everyone's side of the story before making her final decision."

"Well, I say screw the politics," Mia joked as she started towards the front door.

Spencer smiled and hurried down the porch steps, facing his sister as he reached the walkway. "I'll be back soon."

Mia waved weakly before turning and walking inside, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

Her hair was still damp when she decided to risk going downstairs. She could hear people talking, but she couldn't tell if Nicholas was one of them. Even though she had convinced herself that she no longer felt any hatred for him, she knew there was still a chance he would do or say something that could cause her to lose control of her temper. And if that happened, even for a moment, there was no telling what she would do.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs she could make out Nicholas' voice coming from the next room, causing her to hesitate to make her presence known.

"Aiden was trying to save us from a roamer; shooting at it," There was an elongated pause and Mia bit her lip, anxious to hear what he would say next. "Then Glenn distracted him."

She wrapped a hand around the stairs railing, clenching it until her knuckles turned white as her anger began to fester. A part of her wanted to go into the living room and make him tell the truth, but another part of her wanted to wait to hear if he would have the audacity to lie about Aiden and Noah's death.

"They wanted to just go; _I_ didn't. I wasn't going to leave him." Mia pressed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from calling out when she realized he was trying to paint the picture that he was the hero.

"What about Tara?" Her mom asked.

"I wasn't going to leave her," Nicholas said. Mia kept her hand locked around the railing and her jaw clenched as he continued to spin his tale. "Then, when we got into the lobby, Glenn and Mia were hitting on the glass, pushing my door open. They were going to kill me! Or they were trying to—or they just didn't care."

"And I—if I didn't push back, I'd be dead too," Nicholas continued, his voice become frantic. "They did this! It was them!"

"But you all came back together," Deanna started. "How did that happen?"

"Because he's a liar," Mia answered as she entered the living room, looking down at her mother. "Everything that's come out of his mouth has been nothing but lies. And it's all a desperate attempt to save his life." She shook her head in disgust as she turned her gaze to Nicholas. "He's a coward and he'll keep getting people killed. He's _already_ gotten people killed." She looked back at her mother. "Aiden told us what really happened to the run-team that died on his watch. He told me that it was his and Nicholas' fault because they ran, leaving the rest of your people to be overrun by walkers. And that is exactly what Nicholas did today. He panicked, he ran, and now two people are dead; one of them being your own son."

"She's lying!" Nicholas swore as he stood from his seat hastily. He looked between Deanna and her daughter as he hesitated to continue. "She's—she's just trying to protect herself! She's just like them! She's an outsider! She—she's a killer! Not me!"

"What's going on in here?" Spencer asked as he appeared from the kitchen with his father on his heels.

"We're just trying to figure everything out," Deanna assured her son.

Mia couldn't hold back her scoff. "God, you really are a politician. You go on and on about _knowing_ people—knowing how to read them. Well, if that was true then you'd be able to look at him," she paused, gesturing to Nicholas, "and just _know_ that he's a liar and a coward and a killer."

"You know me Deanna!" Nicholas shouted, anger seeping into his voice. "You know that I'm not capable of what she's saying I did! Do you know what she's capable of?! She was just trying to save herself and her new friends. She didn't care about me or Aiden!"

Before anyone could stop her, Mia grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the bookshelf. Everybody stepped towards the two when they realized that she had a knife in her hand. No one had even seen her reach for the weapon. She raised it to Nicholas' neck instantly.

"Mia!" Spencer shouted.

"You're right," Mia said as she pressed the tip of the blade to Nicholas' throat. She almost laughed when she saw the fear in his eyes. "They don't know what I'm capable of and neither do you. I could kill you right here, right now without batting an eye. But do you know what I would never do?! Leave my brother to die! You did that! Not me! It's time to have some fucking dignity and take responsibility!"

"Mia!" Spencer said sternly as he placed a hand on her arm; the same one that held the knife.

She didn't move for a few seconds, holding Nicholas' gaze and keeping the knife to his neck until Spencer repeated her name again. It was only then she dropped the weapon to her side and tore her eyes from the coward in front of her, looking at her brother. Knowing Spencer was there and that he believed her account of Aiden's death was the only thing keeping her from letting all the anger and frustration out on her parents.

Mia turned to them as she slipped her knife back into her belt. "I'm your daughter and Aiden was my brother. I loved him with all my heart and losing him felt like losing a part of myself. Do you believe that?"

Reg and Deanna nodded solemnly.

"Then you should know that I _never_ would have left Aiden there to be killed by walkers," Mia told them before turning and walking out of the house.

* * *

She wrapped her arms around herself as she started down the street, the cold night air nipping at her through the thin long-sleeved shirt she was wearing. She didn't even know where she was going until she ended up on Rick's street.

Mia knew his family would be able to understand her decisions. Glenn had been by her side through it all and she was certain that Rick wouldn't doubt her testimony.

"Mia," someone called out as she neared the large house.

She turned to see Max starting towards her. He was wearing a large jacket already, but had another one in his hands. He held it out to her when he got close enough. Mia hesitated, but she took it eventually, pulling it on quickly.

"Thanks," she murmured, smiling faintly.

"I saw you walk by and I knew you'd be cold," Max explained as he gestured to the coat he'd given her.

Mia let herself smile, feeling comfortable enough around him to do so. "Well, you were right."

"Are you okay?" Max asked, obviously concerned.

Mia hesitated to tell the truth. "No. I'm not."

"I know there's nothing I could say that would make you feel better about what happened to your brother, but I knew him. He was a good guy and I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry he died. He'll be missed around here," Max told her, placing an arm on her shoulder.

Mia sighed as she nodded slowly, placing a hand over his and giving it a small squeeze. "Thank you, Max."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked with a faint smile. "I've been told I'm a great listener."

Mia let out a breathless laugh. She bit her lip softly as she held his gaze. "If it's okay, I'd rather be the listener."

"Okay," Max said, smiling and nodding. "What do want to talk about?"

"I don't know," Mia sighed as she shrugged and shoved her hands into her pockets. "Tell me everything there is to know about you. I need the distraction."

Max only had to weigh the option for a few seconds before agreeing. He led her over to the curb where they sat side by side.

He did most of the talking, telling Mia about his life growing up and his family while she remained quiet. But as the conversation went on, she started to open up a little, revealing a couple short stories from her childhood. It was enough to distract her from everything else going through her head.

Over an hour had passed by the time they agreed to end the conversation and part ways.

"Thank you for that," Mia said, gesturing to the curb where they'd just been sitting. "I needed it."

"I would say that's what friends are for," Max started. "But the last thing I want to do is friend-zone myself. You can never really come back from that."

Mia let out a short laugh, unsure how to respond.

It never took her long to figure out whether or not she liked a guy as more than a friend, and Max was a good guy; compassionate, smart, funny, humble—everything she always looked for in a man. But she'd only ever been in three serious relationships; two before the outbreak and one after. While she wasn't eager to enter into another one, she had come to learn that everything seemed easier when she had someone standing by her side.

"Could I ask you one more question? I will accept whatever answer you give, I promise," he assured her.

Mia pursed her lips together, hesitating for a moment. "Sure."

"Can I kiss you?"

Mia took a deep breath as she processed his question, her mouth falling open slightly. It was unexpected, to say the least. "I—I don't—"

"You don't have to say yes, Mia," Max said with a smile. "If you're not ready, I am willing to wait until you are. It's completely up to you."

Mia swallowed slowly and bit her lip as she looked over her shoulder at Rick's house. The windows were lit up, telling her that they were still awake, but from what she could see, no one was watching them.

Rick wasn't watching them.

She was aware of her growing admiration for the sheriff, but aside from the kiss on the cheek at the party and the next day, he hadn't done anything to show her that he had started to feel something for her as well. But Max was making his intentions clear and there was a small chance she could come to like him more than just a friend.

Mia turned back to Max and sighed. "Yes."

"Are you sure?" Max asked as he stepped towards her.

"Yes," she said even though a part of her was screaming in protest.

Max walked up to her once he got the confirmation and grabbed her arm lightly, pulling her into a kiss. She kissed him back as he cupped the sides of her face in his hands and a few seconds later they pulled apart. Max was smiling wide and Mia forced herself to return it.

It was a nice, short kiss, but Mia felt like that's all it was. She didn't feel like there wasn't any real emotion behind it. There was nothing that told her that her relationship with Max would ever be able to be romantic.

"I've wanted to do that since the moment I first saw you," Max said after a few seconds of silence passed.

All Mia could do was nod and smile

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," she answered with the same forced smile that everyone always believed.

She waited until he turned his back to her to run her hands over her face. She groaned as she dropped her arms to her side and turned on her heels, planning to take the long way back to her house.

She stopped short when she saw a shadowy figure standing on Rick's porch. She had to take a step towards them before she could see who it was.

"Rick," Mia whispered when she realized it was his blue eyes that were locked on her. She raised her voice just high enough so she knew he could hear her. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Longer than you'd like," he answered.

Mia screwed her eyes shut for a moment as she took a deep breath, knowing exactly when he must have come outside. She gestured over her shoulder when she opened her eyes again. "That—it—it didn't mean anything."

"It looked like it meant something," Rick responded tensely.

"Well, it didn't," Mia told him truthfully.

"I think it meant somethin' to him," Rick said, nodding after Max.

Mia took another deep breath before she could muster up the courage to walk onto the porch. She wasn't patient enough to take the time to beat around the bush. She faced Rick as she folded her arms over her chest. "Today, I shot my brother—I _killed_ him—and then I watched, powerless, as Noah was ripped apart by walkers. And after I got home, I told my mom what I did and I expected her to tell me that I did the right thing, but she didn't. She just sat there and stared at the floor, crying. And as much as I _wanted_ to cry—to mourn my brother, I couldn't," Mia admitted calmly. "So, yeah, I spent the last hour talking to Max about things that don't matter and I let him kiss me because I needed to try to feel something other than this emptiness inside me, but it didn't work. Max is my friend and I think he's a good guy, but I don't feel for him what I feel for you."

They stood there on the porch, unmoving, until Mia let out a quiet sigh. She stepped towards him, placing a hand on his arm as she went up on her toes to press a kiss to Rick's cheek. He closed his eyes as he leaned into the gesture, savoring the moment.

"Goodnight, Rick," Mia murmured before she pulled away. She would let him sit with her confession for as long as he needed. She just needed to say it.

"Mia," Rick said, grabbing her arm lightly as she turned to leave. "I like you. There's no question about that. I just—it's been a while since I've done this."

"You and me both," she responded quietly. She reached out and took Rick's hand in hers, their fingers fitting together like two puzzle pieces. She met his gaze again. "I say, we take this slow. Work through it together, step by step."

Rick nodded. "Okay."

"And if either of us ever wants out, all we have to do is say the word. There's no pressure to make this work," Mia told him, trying to make sense of her own thoughts.

"And, what's the first step?" Rick asked as his gaze flickered to their intertwined hands.

Mia thought for a moment, biting the corner of her lip as she did so. Her gaze fell away from Rick's as she let go of his hand. He narrowed his eyes, but she was quick to explain. "We build our friendship. We get to know each other better; our likes, our dislikes, our strengths, our weaknesses, and we try to figure out if we'd even work as a couple."

"And we stay friends even if we decide not to pursue each other," Rick continued. "We hold onto the trust we build up and we stay friends—we stay together."

"That _almost_ sounds like a functional relationship," Mia joked, smiling weakly.

"Almost." Rick returned her smile.

"I've gone about a lot of things the wrong way in the last couple years and I just—I don't want my relationship with you to become another example of that," Mia paused for a few seconds as her smile grew. "So, thank you for agreeing to this."

"I don't do anything half-assed," Rick said, smirking faintly. "Especially, not something like this."

"Another thing we have in common." Mia noted light-heartedly. "I should get back to the house. My parents are probably wondering where I am." Her expression faltered as she inhaled slowly, remembering why she'd decided to come to Rick's house in the first place. "Um, you should probably know that I overheard Nicholas giving my mom his statement about today and—uh—he was lying about everything that happened. He was trying to paint himself as some kind hero and put all blame for Aiden and Noah's death on me and Glenn."

"Did you tell your mom that he was lying?" Rick asked as a hint of anger started to contort his expression.

"That and I threatened Nicholas with my knife. It probably wasn't the best decision, but I just got so angry," Mia explained, shaking her head. "I mean, he was trying to convince my own mother that I would just up and leave my brother for dead. And a part of me thinks she believed him."

"I doubt that," Rick sighed.

"I don't," Mia murmured. "You should have seen the look on her face after I told her what I did." She took a deep breath as she turned towards the street, leaning on the porch railing as she looked up at the night sky. "I just—I needed to hear her say that I did the right thing—that I made the right choice, but I think she'd rather believe that I left him behind."

"I don't think that's true," Rick said, shaking his head. "Your mother loves you and I think she knows that if he'd been alive when the walkers reached him, he would have died very painfully. She just doesn't want to accept the fact that he's dead."

"I hope you're right," Mia told him. There was a short silence before she spoke again. "I was out there for a while, Rick, and I made a lot of questionable decisions. But making the decisions wasn't even the worst part. It was what came after; the doubt and the uncertainty that I _had_ made the right decision. And because I was alone, there was no one there to tell me that I'd done the right thing—that I'd made the right choice. So, I'd have to try to convince myself that I did and sometimes it stuck, while other times it felt impossible to believe. I thought getting here would make that easier. I'd be able to hear from other people—the people I love the most in the world—that everything I did was necessary. But, so far, that hasn't happened." Mia shrugged weakly as she shook her head. "Maybe I just set my expectations a little too high."

"Your parents and brother don't know enough about the real world to help you justify whatever it is that you did while you were out there," Rick said, sidling up beside Mia. He placed his hands on the railing, leaning against it as he looked at her. "But I can tell you that, today, you made the right decision."

She turned her head towards him and placed one of her hands on top of his. "Thank you."

Rick's gaze lingered on their hands for a moment before he made eye contact with her. He gave her a small smile as he nodded. "You're welcome."

Mia held his gaze, keeping her hand on top of his until she remembered her parents. "I should go. My parents are probably getting flashbacks to when I used to run away."

"You were a trouble-maker?" Rick asked, slightly amused by the idea.

"Everybody has their phases. Mine just happened to be getting the urge to take long walks in the middle of the night," Mia shrugged coolly. She couldn't resist smiling when Rick smirked knowingly.

"Mine was stealing my dad's car for joy-rides," Rick told her. "Luckily, he never even found out."

"A sheriff and a bona fide thief," Mia sighed, shaking her head. "You are a jack of all trades, Rick Grimes."

"All except medicine, but you can keep that one."

"That's probably a good idea."

"I—uh—I wanted to thank you earlier for helping with Tara, but you were busy," Rick told her, his train of thought shifting to another topic.

Mia shrugged. "I wanted to become a doctor to save lives. That never really went away."

"What did you think of the surgeon? His name is Pete, right?" Rick asked. Mia nodded, but narrowed her eyes slightly when she heard the playfulness in his voice fade entirely.

"He's a good doctor and he seems like an okay guy, but we didn't do much talking," Mia told Rick. She continued when he remained quiet. "I've talked to his wife, Jessie, a couple times. She was nice. I also met their two sons. That's all I really know about them. Why?"

Rick hesitated to tell her what Carol revealed just a few hours ago. He knew he could trust Mia, but he didn't want to involve more people than he needed to. He just felt like he needed to tell her—like she had the right to know.

"Pete's beating Jessie," Rick revealed.

Concern steadily filled Mia's expression. "How do you know that? How—how can you be sure?"

"Carol saw some warning signs and then she got their son, Sam, to tell her the truth," Rick explained quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear them.

"How long has it been happening? Does my mom know?" Mia queried.

"It's been a long-term thing, but I don't know if your mother is aware it's happening," Rick answered. He could tell Mia was concerned that Deanna knew about the abuse and was doing nothing to stop it.

"Have you talked to Jessie about it?"

"No."

Mia sighed heavily as she threaded her fingers through her hair. She looked at Rick as she dropped her hand to her side, shrugging weakly. "I'll talk to her tomorrow and if she agrees to it, we'll separate them. But, if that doesn't work then we'll _have_ to kill him."

"That's what I thought too," Rick admitted.

"It's the only option. If this doesn't get diffused then it might only be a matter of time before he kills her," Mia said with the utmost certainty. Rick gave her a curious look.

"I had to do a lot of community service to help get into Harvard and as a part of that I would volunteer at women's shelters and abuse hotlines. There were always stories and cases that I heard about that didn't ended well," Mia explained. "I know that if Pete doesn't go after Jessie, then he'll go after the kids. We can't let that happen."

"I know," Rick agreed. "I'll talk to your mom tomorrow while you talk to Jessie."

"Okay," Mia nodded. She leaned against the railing, allowing the silence to linger for a few moments longer than she should have. "Do you mind if I ask _why_ you want to help Jessie?"

Rick pursed his lips into a thin line as he dropped his gaze momentarily. He sighed quietly when he looked back up at Mia, deciding to always tell her the truth. "What Pete is doing is wrong. A man should never raise a hand to a woman, let alone the woman he vowed to love and protect for the rest of his life." But even after making the decision to tell her everything, he hesitated. He didn't want to risk losing what they'd just begun to establish. "And I've also talked to Jessie. She was welcoming to me and my family and we—we just got along right away. She has this innocence about her and she never seemed to judge me or the rest of my family. Jessie's someone I know I can trust and I want to do what I can to protect her family."

"You care about her," Mia concluded, smiling weakly.

Rick's admiration for her grew instantaneously. He knew he was wrong to think she'd get jealous or angry. He should have known Mia would have conducted herself with the same understanding attitude she had since the day he met her.

Mia read his expression. "Like I said before, there's no pressure to make our relationship work and if you end up deciding that Jessie is a better fit for you then I will let you go. We just need to promise to be honest with each other."

"I will never lie to you, Amelia Monroe," Rick swore as he took one of her hands in his.

One corner of her lips twitched upward into a faint half-smile as she placed her other hand on his chest tenderly. "And I will never lie to you, Rick Grimes."

 **A/N: This chapter was probably the hardest one to write so far because I had to determine how Mia would begin to deal with her brother's death. I think I started this chapter about six times, but this was the final choice. And, as I promised, more Rick and Mia scenes! Hope you enjoyed it! I apologize for any mistakes.**

 **Thank you to all the readers that stuck with this story while I took a small break from writing. Life had been really rough the last couple weeks and it's about to get rougher. My depression and anxiety has been at its worst so I will be taking a necessary break from all my stories for a bit. I don't really know how long I'll be gone. It could be only a couple days or a couple weeks, but I swear I will update the first chance I feel up to it. I just need to focus on taking care of myself for a while.**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and Rick/Mia's blooming friendship. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated!**

 **I hope you all had an amazing Christmas or holiday! And Happy New Years! I wish you all the best and I am so appreciative of all the support this story has gotten. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Part 1

Set during 5x15 "Try"

 _Did you lose what won't return?_

 _Did you love but never learn?_

 _The fire's out but still it burns_

 _And no one cares, there's no one there_

 _Did you find it hard to breathe?_

 _Did you cry so much that you could barely see?_

 _In the darkness all alone_

 _And no one cares, there's no one there_

 _Well did you see the flares in the sky?_

 _Were you blinded by the light?_

 _Did you feel the smoke in your eyes?_

 _Did you? Did you?_

 _Did you see the sparks, feel the hope? You are not alone_

 _Cause someone's out there, sending out flares_

" _Flares" – The Script_

Chapter 5: Part I – Someone's Out There, Sending Out Flares

Amelia was dreaming…

The room was too cold…

Her body was trembling. Her hands were balled up in the sheets. Sam usually put more blankets on their bed…

Surely Dean remembered to close the windows?

She slipped out from beneath the sheets and stood up, sparing a glance in Sam's direction. The outline of his sleeping body comforted her. She noticed she wasn't wearing the same clothes she went to bed in. Instead, she was in an oversized shirt and torn jeans, both covered in fresh blood. She couldn't remember putting them on…

And whose blood was that?

The room was dark, but she found her way to the window. She felt around blindly for the ledge. The window was already shut…

Then why was it so cold?

She turned on her heels and immediately felt a chill shoot up her legs. She was standing on snow…

There was no reason for there to be snow inside their bedroom; unless it was one of Dean's pranks…

She lifted her gaze and exhaled sharply. Her breath clung to the air in front of her. She was no longer in her bedroom. She was standing in the middle of the woods. Everything was blanketed in white…

Where were Sam and Dean? They should have been there…

There was pain suddenly. Her back. Her forearm. Her shoulder. She dropped to the snow-ridden floor when a burst of pain came from her leg. It was… overwhelming.

Where were they supposed to meet when something went wrong?

She squeezed her eyes shut. She had no idea where she was…

Everything shifted as she opened her eyes again. She was already stumbling to her feet when she remembered. They were nearby. They were in danger!

Sam!

He'd gone to lead the walkers off and Dean—

She turned and there he was. His lips were moving. What was he saying?

" _I have to go, Ames..._ "

" _Let me come with you…"_

" _Then you'll get both of us killed..."_

His smile was forced. He was trying to lighten the mood with a joke. It wasn't working…

" _Dean…"_

" _I'll get Sam and we'll meet you at the church…"_

" _Bring him back to me…"_

" _Two days. If we're not back by then…"_

She knew what he was telling her.

" _I can't. I won't. Not without you and Sam…"_

" _You have to…"_

Dean grabbed her arm before she could respond and kissed her forehead slowly. She blinked and when she opened her eyes, he was gone and she was in the church, waiting…

She wanted to help them. She _needed_ to help them. But her leg…

It was worse than she first thought. Her calf muscle was torn to shreds practically. And the pain…

It was the barbed wire. She hadn't seen it. It had gone downhill from there. Now, Dean and Sam were battling off a horde of the dead ones all by themselves. They could have died…

Sam _was_ dead…

And Dean was—

With a start, Amelia woke up. It was morning. Rays of sunlight were pouring into the room.

Another knock came at her door. The young woman sat up sluggishly and tossed her blankets aside. She didn't have time to think about her dream—or nightmare. She rose to her feet. She reached the door just after the third knock. She smiled tiredly when she came face to face with Rick.

"What are you doing here?" Mia ran a hand through her hair as she asked the question.

"I just wanted to stop by. Check in on you," Rick explained. He pulled something out from behind his back and held it out to her. "Here."

"Did you make me a muffin?" Mia asked teasingly as she took it from his hand.

"Carol made them," Rick said, smiling. "I thought you might want one."

"I do," said Mia with a smirk. She took a small bite and gave a satisfactory smile after she swallowed. "I think Carol might be as good of a cook as she is a walker assassin."

"Walker assassin?" Rick quirked an eyebrow as he chuckled softly.

"I thought it sounded the coolest." Mia smirked and shrugged her shoulders. She sat down on her bed.

Rick nodded slowly as Mia bit into the muffin again. He took advantage of her diverted attention to look her over. She rubbed her eyes and ate more of her breakfast. He could see she was still half-asleep. She was in pajamas that allowed him to see some of the scars that were usually hidden by her clothes. There was a thick pale one peeking out from underneath her tank top strap. A knife most likely, he thought. He spotted a few other ones that he identified as either knife or gunshot wounds. A few were a mystery to him, but he didn't want to outright ask her about them. What he did know was that Mia was strong enough to experience all the pain of the wounds. A lot of pain...

"It did," Rick stated, forcing himself to get the conversation back on track. After a couple moments of silence he added, "I promised you that I'd never lie to you."

"I recall that," said Mia.

"So, the real reason I came by this morning was to see you," Rick told her.

"See me?" Mia raised an eyebrow.

"Just to look at you and do what we promised we would," he elaborated.

"You're here to build our friendship, aren't you?" Mia asked, smirking.

"Yeah," Rick said under his breath with a smile on his lips.

"Come on," Mia said as she patted the spot on the bed beside her. When Rick hesitated to follow her gesture she took his hand and led him to her bed. They sat down side by side.

Mia knew she should have let go of his hand the second they sat down, but she didn't want to. She smiled to herself when Rick didn't let go either.

"Did you have something specific you wanted to ask me?" Amelia looked down at their intertwined hands as she spoke.

"Your mother let it slip once that you were engaged when the outbreak started," Rick said as he looked at her. Mia's eyes widened at the depth of the question, but recovered quickly. She had also promised that she would never lie to him.

Mia pursed her lips and nodded. "I was."

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Rick told her quickly. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, but it was something he wanted to talk about eventually. Just like he'd want to talk about what happened to Lori. He didn't want to leave anything unsaid with Mia. He hoped she felt the same way.

"It's okay," she told him. She moved their hands into her lap and began tracing his carefully. "I want you to know."

A few seconds of silence passed between them before Rick asked, "Is he still alive?"

"No," Mia answered, shaking her head lightly. She kept her gaze glued to their hands, unable to look Rick in the eye. "He's dead."

"Was it walkers?" Rick probed as politely as he could. He could sense she wasn't taking any offense to it, though.

"No," she said. "It wasn't walkers. It was a bullet—a bullet from my gun."

Rick stared at her for a moment. "Was he bitten?"

"Nope," Mia answered. "But he was sick. Mentally, he was sick."

"Was he always sick?"

Mia shook her head. "He became paranoid after the outbreak. It only got worse as the months went by."

"You did it to protect yourself," Rick stated understandingly.

"No," Mia said. "He would've never hurt me. He _didn't_ hurt me." She paused for a long moment as the memories from that night came back to her. "He killed everyone _but_ me."

"Everyone?"

"We were part of a group. Some random people we met, some friends from school, a couple teachers even. There were eleven, not including Mal and I. We became a family after living together for months."

"His name was Mal?"

"Malachai," Mia told him, smiling softly. "Everyone else called him Kai, but I always called him Mal."

"He killed eleven people, but he spared you," Rick said aloud in an attempt to process it.

"He murdered them while they slept," Mia clarified. "He tied me to the bed so I couldn't interfere in case I'd woken up."

"Did you?"

"Yes." Mia paused as she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Mal made a mistake with one of the girls. I woke up when she screamed and I called out for him. He came once he had finished killing her."

"You said he didn't hurt you," Rick said.

"He didn't," Mia confirmed. "He told me what he had done and what he had planned for us. Fortunately, I was able to convince him to let me go, and then I killed him."

"What did he have planned?"

"He wanted us to commit suicide together," Amelia revealed. "He told me that he'd killed our friends because he wanted to save them from the pain of living in this world. He said it was the only way to ' _escape_.'" Mia hesitated to continue. "I knew that even if I did convince him to stay alive, he'd only do it again to someone else. He wasn't going to stop"

"You don't need me to justify what you did, but I believe it was the right thing to do," Rick said quietly.

"I know," Mia nodded. "But even after everything he did, it was hard to pull the trigger."

"You wouldn't be human if it wasn't," Rick told her. "You loved him."

"I did," Mia whispered. "I loved him… and I killed him."

"When the world changes like it did, people have to change with it. If they don't, they die, and sometimes, even if they do change, they still die," Rick explained as he turned to face her. There was a touch of sadness in his voice. He held onto her hand a little tighter.

Mia looked up at him. "Malachai did change, but it wasn't a good change. He turned into a man I couldn't love anymore and when he killed our friends, I knew I was supposed to hate him. But aft—after I killed him, I…"

"You don't have to," Rick said softly as he lifted a hand to caress one side of her face. When he saw the tears in her eyes he repeated, "You don't have to."

"I want to," she responded without hesitation. She leaned her head against his hand as she continued. "I convinced myself that I could never love the person who'd murdered my friends in cold blood. I told myself that I hated him, but his death and the fact that it happened at my hands really—" she struggled to find the right way to say it "—it _broke_ me."

"It seemed like I would never be okay again after my wife died," Rick said as he dropped his hand from Mia's face.

"But you were okay after a while," Mia responded. "You went back to being who you were."

"And you don't think you did?" Rick narrowed his eyes.

Mia smiled sadly and shook her head. "I know I didn't. I don't think somebody who did what I did could ever be same. I can never go back."

"You're a good person, Mia," Rick murmured. "Everybody can see that."

Mia smiled again, but Rick could see it wasn't a happy expression. She took a deep breath as she turned her body to face him and took both of his hands in hers. Rick pursed his lips as he waited for her to continue. "I do good things, but that doesn't make me a good person. The things that I've been through—the things that I've done have made me a bad person. I am bad, Rick. Even when I try so hard to be good, it's still there inside of me—the thing that make me bad. And it will never go away.

"You need to know all of this if we're going to continue our relationship. I want you to know everything, but if you can't handle this—the fact that I murdered my fiancé—then you won't be able to handle the rest of it," Mia explained with a touch of doubt in her eyes. Her thoughts flashed back to her dream of Sam and Dean.

"I can handle it, Mia," Rick told her without hesitation. "We've all done something."

"I've done more than that," she responded, thinking of everything that happened after Mal. "I told my family about Mal and I knew by the way they reacted that they could never handle hearing the rest of it so I didn't tell them. I haven't told anyone."

"Because you're afraid that you'll never be looked at the same way again," Rick said understandingly.

Mia nodded. "In their eyes I'll always be a murderer—a cold-hearted killer."

"Your family doesn't understand and I can't promise you that they ever will, but what I can promise you is that I do understand. And to me, you are still just Amelia Monroe, the girl that I l—" Rick hesitated to finish his thought "—that I care about."

"I care about you too, Rick," Mia said, smiling softly. It faded slowly when she dropped her gaze to their hands. "I'm going to tell you everything—just not all at once."

"Okay," Rick said, nodding. A few seconds of silence passed between them before he spoke again. "Is there anything you want to ask me?"

Mia only had to think for a moment. She lifted her gaze to his. "Do you have nightmares?"

"Sometimes," Rick admitted. "Do you?"

"Every night," Mia said. "They're not always bloody or gory, but they're always about the past, and that's scares me more than anything else."

"If there's ever a time you can't sleep because of them, come find me and I'll stay up with you until you feel like you can go back to sleep," Rick said. The compassion in his expression and voice was palpable.

Mia glanced down at their hands then back up at Rick with a small smile. "It's a good thing I know where you live."

"A very good thing," Rick agreed and returned her smile.

"When are you going to talk to my mom?" Mia asked.

"Soon," Rick answered. "When are you going to talk to Jessie?"

"Soon," Amelia responded with a sigh.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

When Mia saw the concern written plainly in his expression, she cupped one side of her face. "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about. My mom can be pretty harsh when she wants to be."

"You don't think she'll help with Jessie?" Rick raised an eyebrow. He knew Deanna was all about doing what was best for the community, but would she be willing to sacrifice Jessie and her kids just to make sure the safe-zone has a surgeon on hand.

"I can't tell the future, but I do know that my mother can be very political in conversations and very stubborn," Mia said. She pursed her lips and dropped her hand from Rick's cheek. "If I were you I'd try to keep the conversation short and as on-topic as you can."

"Might as well get it over with," Rick huffed and prepared to stand up. "Do you know where she is?"

"The graveyard," Mia answered immediately. Rick narrowed his eyes slightly and she quickly explained. "She always goes there in the morning."

Rick nodded. "Thanks. I'll come by Jessie's after I'm done just in case, okay?"

"Okay," Mia murmured as he stood. She gave him a small smile after he kissed her on the forehead, and he returned it. He'd cupped the sides of her face when he'd kissed her and his hands lingered there as he looked down at Amelia. At first she thought he was going to say something, but instead he just took a deep breath and left.

* * *

The few times she'd talked to Jessie were in her garage so that's where Amelia went first. Jessie was exhaling a small cloud of smoke when Mia walked up the driveway.

"Jessie," Mia greeted.

"Hey," she replied tiredly before putting out the cigarette. She waved her hand through the air as she stood up. "I don't want Ron and Sam to know about those so..."

"Your secret's safe with me," Mia promised with a small smile.

A few seconds of silence passed before Jessie said, "Aiden was a good guy. And I'm sorry about what happened with Noah. But Tara's in good hands with Pete."

Mia swallowed hard and took a deep breath to gain confidence. "He's hitting you."

Jessie looked up at her, but she didn't seem surprised by what Mia had said. The younger woman continued. "He's hurting you. It has to stop, Jessie."

Jessie stared back down at the floor as her eyebrows knitted together in uncertainty or frustration. Mia couldn't tell.

"It will," Jessie told her.

"How?" Mia said with a sigh.

"There are things in his life that happened," Jessie began, but Mia couldn't—wouldn't let her make excuses for him.

"I don't care," Mia stated.

"Look," Jessie started again, "it was like this before and he got help. I _helped_ him, and things were good." When Mia looked unconvinced, Jessie added, "I can fix it."

"No, you can't," Mia said with a slow shake of her head. She'd seen these kinds of cases before and they rarely ended with the abuser being "fixed."

"But I can. My mom can. Rick can," Mia told her.

Jessie started shaking her head. "No. What—what can you do? You're gonna—what are you going to do? You're going to put him in jail?" Jessie stared at her as Mia tried to frame a response. "You're only going to make things worse."

"If it's gotten worse than it means he's killed you, Jessie," Mia told her. " _That_ iswhat's next if we don't do something to stop it."

"Why do you care?" Jessie asked with an incredulous look on her face. "Why is this so important to you? You're back with your family. You can be happy and safe here. Why do you care about what's happening with my family?"

Amelia glanced over her shoulder as a shuddery breath escaped from between her lips. Once she saw that they were really alone, she turned back to Jessie. "My best friend, Colette, was murdered by her boyfriend when I was in my senior year of high school. She knew it was wrong that she wasn't doing anything about the abuse but she just kept telling me that she could _fix_ him. I was stupid enough to believe her and thirty four days later she was dead.

"He ended up beating her to death during a fight, and even though everyone that loved Cole got what society liked to call 'justice,' it didn't change the fact that my best friend of twelve years was dead and that there was nothing I could do to bring her back," Mia explained. By the end of her story she could barely keep her voice from wavering and she had to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Jessie stared at her in silence for a minute before she shook her head. Mia could see that were also tears in Jessie's eyes, but she wasn't trying to hide them. "I'm sorry for what happened with your friend, but this is not the same, okay? I can take care of myself."

"Jessie…" Mia started when she started to walk away.

"We have to take care of ourselves," Jessie said before she shut the garage door. Mia immediately walked out to the main street and started towards Jessie's front door.

"Mia!"

She turned to see Rick walking towards her. She pursed her lips as she spared a glance at Jessie's house. Mia wanted to convince her to accept the help her family needed without Rick's help, but she knew it might be easier to persuade her with Rick.

"Jessie won't accept our—my help," Mia told him once he was close enough. "She thinks she can get through it without us."

"We have to talk to her again," Rick said and Mia nodded.

"I was just about to do that," she responded and gestured over her shoulder at the house. Rick's gaze followed the gesture, but Mia kept her eyes on him. His reaction to all of it would tell her what to expect in their relationship. Amelia knew he cared about her, but he'd admitted to also caring about Jessie. That fact hadn't escaped her.

"We'll do it together," Rick said, determined. He took her hand and they walked to the house together. Mia led the way inside, forgoing the manner of knocking beforehand.

When Jessie faced them, Mia could see the tears running down her face. Their conversation had affected the woman more than she had first thought. Amelia looked at Rick when he let go of her hand. His expression cemented the fact that he definitely cared about Jessie.

 _Why?_ Mia asked herself.

"God," Jessie murmured. "What are you doing?"

"You know that Sam asked for a gun to protect you?" Rick asked, causing both Mia and Jessie to look at him.

Jessie pursed her lips as she tried to hold back a whimper. "You shouldn't be here."

Mia bit her lip as she stepped towards Jessie slowly. "For a long time I thought I could protect myself when I out there. And for a while, I could—I did. But then there came a time when I couldn't, and I _needed_ help, but I'd turn away everyone who had attempted to help me because I was stubborn and stupid and afraid of getting hurt. And I almost died because of it." When a sobbed rocked Jessie's body softly, Mia took hold of her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Don't let fear hold you back. Don't let it stop you from protecting yourself and your kids. You still have a chance to come out of this alive. Don't let it slip through your fingers."

Jessie nodded, but Mia could see the doubt in her eyes. Rick walked towards them and Mia moved to the side a little so Rick could face Jessie head on.

"Jessie, in here you—you can't see it, but it's the same. It's the same as being out there. We have food and roofs over our heads, but you don't get to just live. You don't get to put it off or wish it away, Jessie. If you don't fight, you die. And I don't want you to die," Rick admitted. Mia slid a glance in his direction and swallowed when she saw how affected by this he was. She looked back at Jessie and saw that the doubt was fading fast. Mia pinned her lips between her teeth, deciding to stay quiet until Rick was done. "I—we—we can help you. I can keep you and your boys safe. I _can_. All you have to do is say yes."

Mia took a deep, silent breath as Rick and Jessie stared at each other, the look in their eyes leaving nothing unsaid. She wanted to dislike Jessie because of it, but she couldn't. She wouldn't.

"Would you do this for someone else?" Jessie asked quietly. Mia's eyes settled on Rick as she continued. "Would you do this for anyone?"

Rick exhaled as his gaze dropped to the ground and then rose to meet Mia's. "No."

Mia broke their eye contact quickly and raked her fingers through her bangs. She pivoted her body to face Jessie by moving one foot towards her. "Say yes, Jessie. Don't let there be a chance of leaving your sons alone with Pete because he won't stop if that happens. He'll hurt them. He's probably already hurt them. This is your way out. So, say yes."

Jessie held her gaze for a moment before looking back at Rick. Mia clenched her teeth when she realized they were close enough to kiss.

It seemed like minutes passed before Jessie finally nodded. "Yes."

Amelia let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Rick."

All three of them turned towards the kitchen. Mia felt her body tense when she saw Pete standing in the doorway. He was leaning against it for support; obviously drunk.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he stumbled into the kitchen.

"Pete," Jessie said quietly.

" _What_ are you doing here?" Pete repeated as he neared the trio.

"Listen to me," Jessie said as she walked towards her husband.

"I'm going to have to ask you both to leave," Pete told Rick and Mia as he continued towards them.

"No," Jessie objected and stepped in front of him.

Pete's gaze bounced between Rick and his wife for a moment before settling on Jessie. "Excuse me?"

Jessie held her ground as Pete stepped closer to her. "You need to leave."

Pete's lips twitched up into an incredulous smile. "What are you talking about?"

"Just go Pete," Jessie tried again.

"What have you been saying to each other?" Pete questioned. Mia crept towards Jessie when she saw the look on his face. She could see the anger and the disbelief. That mixed with alcohol could lead the very thing they were trying to prevent.

Pete hovered over Jessie.

"Huh? What have you been doing?!" Pete shouted furiously, causing Jessie to flinch away from him.

When he moved to grab her, Mia knocked away his arm without thinking about the consequences. She tried to brace herself when he shoved her roughly, but her foot caught on the hearth of the fireplace and she fell backwards. She cried out when she hit her head on something before landing hard on her shoulder. There was a stabbing pain coming from where her head had hit something and her shoulder was throbbing. She groaned in pain as she rolled onto her back, her hand lifting towards her head, but a piercing pain shot across her shoulder and down her arm, stopping her mid-motion. Mia whimpered softly as she held her injured arm over her stomach and used her other hand to feel for the wound on her head.

"Don't try to move, Mia." Jessie's voice brought some comfort, but the sound of a crash extinguished it quickly.

"What's happening?" Mia questioned Jessie as she lay on the tile fireplace. She tried to see what was going on, but Rick and Pete were out of view. She could still hear them, though.

"Rick and Pete are fighting," Jessie said, sounding just as worried as Mia. "I don't—they won't stop."

A louder crash sounded through the room, causing Jessie to gasp when she looked up.

"Help me up," Mia demanded.

"I don't—that's a good idea," Jessie told her. "Pete could have hurt you really—"

"Help me up now, Jessie!"

The older woman hesitated, but eventually supported Mia as she stumbled to her feet. She felt dizzy and light-headed, but she needed to know what was happening to Rick. With one arm around Jessie's shoulder and her other arm pinned to her stomach, they walked outside together. Mia's eyes widened when she saw Rick on top of Pete as they tried their best to beat each other senseless.

Jessie helped her down the steps and they got as close as they could without being in danger of becoming collateral damage. With one punch, Pete managed to roll on top of Rick and then they both had their hands around each other's throat. Jessie let go of Mia and rushed forward. She grabbed Pete's shoulders in an attempt to separate them, but Pete cocked his arm back, incidentally punching her in the face. Mia rushed towards the older woman when the force from the punch caused her to roll back several feet. Rosita helped her up before Mia could even try, though.

Amelia turned back to Rick and Pete, who had switched positions once again, only to see Carl try the same intervention technique as Jessie. Rick shoved him and Carl landed on his back. Mia got to the kid rather quickly and helped him to his feet the best she could.

"Are you okay?" Mia asked as she looked Carl in the eyes. When he nodded she still gave him a once over glance to be sure. Once she was certain that he was not bleeding profusely and didn't have any broken bones she sighed in relief. Mia glanced over at Rick and Pete again.

"What happened to you?" Carl asked when he saw blood running down the nape of her neck.

"Pete," Mia answered before edging towards the fight.

Rick had somehow managed to get Pete in a headlock and was quickly choking the life out of him. Mia clenched her teeth together when she realized she didn't want Rick to kill Pete. The people in Alexandria, including her parents, would never understand. Even after they learned he had hurt their daughter. They would never understand.

"Rick!" Mia shouted from her spot a few feet away from them. "Rick, stop! Please!

Rick glanced up at her, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones. He put his lips to Pete's ear and said angrily, "You touch her again, I'll kill you."

He released Pete once he said that.

"Rick, stop!" Deanna shouted as she joined the group of spectators.

"Or what?" Rick retorted as he pulled the spare gun from the back of his belt. Mia felt a pang of emotions move through her when he pointed it at her mother and some of the other Alexandrians.

He'd promise her that he would give her the chance to talk to them before he and his group ever pulled weapons on them.

"You gonna kick me out?" Rick shouted at Deanna and the others.

"Put down that gun down, Rick," Deanna said cautiously.

"You still don't get it!" Rick dropped his gaze to the ground as he continued to hold up the gun. He was on his knees, panting from the exertion of the fight needed. He lowered the gun when he looked back up at them. He looked over his shoulder at everyone else. "None of you do!"

"We know what needs to be done and we do it. We're the ones that live," Rick continued, talking to no one in particular. "You!" He paused as he gestured to Deanna's group. "You just sit, and plan, and hesitate! You pretend like you know, but you don't!" Mia clenched her jaw as she watched him continue to gesture at her parents with the loaded gun. He seemed to calm down for a moment. "You wished things weren't what they are. Well, you wanna live? You want this place to stay standing?" He didn't wait to hear anyone respond. "Your way of doing things is done! Things don't get better because you—you want them to. Starting right now, we have to live in the _real_ world. We have to control who lives here!"

"That's never been more clear to me than it is right now," Deanna announced with her chin lifted confidently. Mia wanted to speak up—to defend Rick and get him to drop the gun, but something was stopping her.

"Me? Me? You—you mean me?" Rick laughed in disbelief. He became solemn as he stared at Deanna. Mia squeezed her eyes shut as she hung her head. She kept her gaze on the ground as Rick continued. "You're way's going to destroy this place. It's going to get people killed. It's _already_ gotten people killed! I'm not going to just stand by and let it happen!" Rick paused as he looked over his shoulder. Mia looked up and met his gaze for a second before dropping her gaze again. "If you don't fight, you die! I'm not going to stand by and—"

"Ugh!"

Mia looked up quickly when she heard the impact. Michonne was standing over Rick, who was lying in a motionless heap on the floor. She'd knocked him out.

 _Thank God,_ Mia thought before she went to Rick's side.

 **A/N: There's chapter 6! I'm still on a hiatus from writing, but I'm trying to do it whenever I can. I want to thank Lili Tommo, angie b, msgemgem, Guest 1, Ciara, melniewn, Guest 1314, and myharleyquinromance321 for the supportive reviews during this difficult time.**

 **And the two OC's introduced in this chapter are inspired by the characters of the same names from Supertnatural. So, in my mind Sam would resemble Jared Padalecki and Dean would resemble Jensen Ackles of course. They'll be back in future chapters.**

 **I would appreciate some feedback on this chapter in a review or favorite and follow if you haven't already! Thank you for reading! I will try to finish part II as soon as I can.**


	7. Chapter 5 - Part 2

Set during 5x16 "Conquer"

 _Did you break but never mend?_

 _Did it hurt so much you thought it was the end?_

 _Lose your heart but don't know when_

 _And no one cares, there's no one there_

 _Well did you see the flares in the sky?_

 _Were you blinded by the light?_

 _Did you feel the smoke in your eyes?_

 _Did you? Did you?_

 _Did you see the sparks, feel the hope? You are not alone_

 _Cause someone's out there, sending out flares_

 _Someone's out there, sending out flares_

" _Flares" – The Script_

Chapter 5: Part 2 – Someone's Out There, Sending Out Flares

 _Two days had come and gone, and there was still no sign of Sam and Dean. Mia knew deep down that they were most likely dead, or worse, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the church. She didn't want to give up on them. Despite her feelings, she knew there would come a time when she would have to._

* * *

She waited for him to wake up and eventually Rick stirred awake.

Amelia had patched him up shortly after the fight, but it was obvious he was still sore because of the fight. He groaned as he sat up in the darkened room and glanced around. Mia knew he didn't see her because he lied back down and rubbed his eyes. He chuckled softly, causing Mia to sit up straight, the anger growing inside her.

"What's so funny?" Mia asked, startling Rick momentarily.

Rick looked at her, surprised. "You've been here the whole time?"

"All night," Mia stated coolly and restated her original question.

"A few weeks before we arrived here, we came across a cannibalistic group. We were trapped in a train car for hours before they took a few of us out to kill. We ended up getting out and destroying their compound, but even after everything that's happened, I'm still in that train car," Rick explained.

"My mom wanted you in here to help calm things down," Mia responded. "I patched you up, Carl came by for a little while, but I sent him home so he could get some sleep."

"Thank you," Rick said. His voice was hoarse and tired.

"Why did you do it?" Mia asked as she sat forward. Anger seeped into her voice as she asked, "Why did you point a gun at my parents and brother?"

Rick looked up at her, but couldn't frame a response.

"I like you a lot, Rick," Mia began, "but you can't ever do that again."

"I won't," Rick said, "unless I have to."

"You promised me once that you wouldn't pull a weapon on anyone before you talked to me," Amelia reminded him. "You broke that promise. How am I supposed to trust that you won't break it again?"

"You can't," Rick answered, making Mia drop her gaze and purse her lips in frustration. "Because I will always make sure that my people are safe."

"I can't believe that you—"

"You are one of my people, Mia," Rick cut her off. "Pete hurt you and I needed to hurt him. I needed to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me," Mia rebuffed.

"I know," Rick said, nodding.

"I'm going to ask you one last time, Rick," Mia paused, "please do not pull a weapon on anyone in here, especially my family, without trying to talk to me first."

"I promise I won't, unless I need to protect my people," Rick answered.

"And I'm one of your people?" Mia questioned quietly.

"You're more than just one of my people," Rick told her with a weak small smile.

"I'm your person," Mia said. She smiled as she stood from the seat and sat down on the mattress facing Rick. He took her hand in his and smiled again.

"You're my person," Rick nodded.

"You know that the people here could become your people, right?" Mia asked.

"Of course," Rick said, "in time."

Mia tilted her head to the side slightly. "Will you try?"

"I will," Rick said.

Amelia pinned her lips between her teeth as she stared at their hands. Rick lifted them and kissed the back of her hand. Mia smiled gently.

"I like you, Rick, but I'm not the kind of girl who waits around for a guy to choose another girl over her," Mia admitted.

Rick dropped his gaze back to their hands. "You don't have to wait any longer, Mia."

Mia's eyes widened. "Does that—"

"I choose you," said Rick. He looked her in the eyes. "I choose you, and not only because you are kind, and smart, and strong, but also because when you got hurt, I realized that I wouldn't be able to function the same if you had died."

"I didn't die," Mia noted aloud.

"I know, but you could have, and if you did I would have killed Pete without hesitation or regret," Rick told her.

"I would have wanted you to," Amelia told him.

"Come here." Rick gestured to himself.

Mia obliged. She sat next him on the mattress and allowed Rick to put an arm around her shoulder. Mia rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've killed four people that I love," Mia admitted quietly. "First there was Mal, then Shay and Tierney, and then there was Aiden."

"Who were the girls?" Rick asked as they both stared at the wall in front of then.

"Friends," Mia told him. "More like sisters, really. But they're dead now and I miss them everyday."

"You were part of a group for a while?" Rick questioned.

"I was part of a family," Mia nodded. "There were nine of us and then there was just me, Shay, and Tierney. And in the end, they died too."

"Was the rest of your group killed by walkers?" Rick asked.

Mia shook her head. "No. It wasn't walkers."

"People?"

"People," Amelia nodded.

Before Rick could ask another question, the door opened. Mia stood and went back to her seat before Rick's family could see them sitting together.

"Where'd you get the gun?" Michonne asked as she entered.

"You stole it, right? From the armory?" Carol asked in an innocent tone. She paused for a moment before adding quietly, "It was stupid. Why did you do it?"

Mia opened her mouth to call her out on her lie, but Rick shot her a quieting look. She shut her mouth and clenched her jaw as she sat back in her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest as Rick replied.

"Just in case," Rick gestured.

"Deanna's planning on having a meeting tonight," Glenn told him, "for anyone who wants to."

"To kick Rick out?" Abraham asked.

"To try," Carol answered.

"We don't know that," Glenn argued. "Maggie's at Deanna's right now to try to figure out what it is."

Mia sighed quietly. "My mom wants Rick out of Alexandria and she's going to use tonight's meeting to make an argument for him to leave. She told me last night."

She continued as she looked at Rick. "Tonight, you need to make sure to tell everyone that the only reason you took the gun was to protect Jessie because she and her children were being abused and no one was doing anything to stop it."

"You say you took the gun to make sure Jessie was safe from a man that wound up attacking Mia, and then you when you tried to calm him down. You say you'll do whatever they want you to. Just tell them a story that they want to hear," Carol instructed. "That's what I've been doing since we got here."

"Why?" Michonne asked. Mia could see that she wasn't the only one wondering that same thing.

"Because these people are children, and children like stories," Carol answered coolly.

"They're inexperienced," Mia said, defensively. "That doesn't make them children."

"What happens after all the nice words, and they still try to kick him out?" Abraham asked, moving the conversation along. Mia leaned back in her seat with a silent huff.

"They're guarding the armory now," Glenn told everyone.

"We still have knives," Carol noted. "That's all we need against them."

Rick stared at his family for a moment before looking at Mia. He hesitated to state his plan, but after a moment he said, "Tonight, at the meeting, if it looks like it's going bad, I whistle. Carol grabs Deanna. I take Spencer. Michonne grabs Reg. Glenn and Abraham will cover us—watch the crowd."

Mia clenched her jaw as he laid out his plan.

"We can talk to them," Michonne told him.

"And we will," Rick agreed, sparing a glance in Mia's direction. "But if we can't get through, we take the three of them and say we'll slit their throats."

"Screw you, Rick," said Mia as she stood from her seat. "You never planned to talk to me first. You wanted this. You wanted to take over this place, and you're using me as an excuse to do it. I'm not going to stand by and let this happen."

"Mia, I—" Rick started as he stood up.

"Save it," Amelia said before walking out the door.

"Mia!" Rick called after her as she walked up the stairs that led to the sidewalk. "Mia!"

"What?!" Mia called out as she spun around to face him. "What could you possibly say that could make up for your stupid little plan?!"

"I love you," Rick told her. When Mia's expression softened, he continued. "I love you and there is nothing I wouldn't do for you. So, if you ask me to make a different plan—one where we don't threaten your family—then I will do it. But only if _you_ ask me to."

"You don't have to make a different plan," Mia paused, "just promise me that you won't kill anyone! Even if it does escalate to a fight, promise me."

"I promise," Rick pledged without hesitation. Mia watched for a reason to doubt him.

"Fine," Mia sighed before turning around and continuing up the stairs. "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?"

"Hunting," Mia answered and turned the corner, walking out of sight.

* * *

 _There he was._

 _Dean was standing right in front of her._

 _But where was Sam?_

 _Mia had forgotten to ask when she saw the older brother. Instead, she'd reunited with him in a hug and helped him into the church. His arm had been hurt, but not bitten._

 _She waited until they were inside and the doors were locked to ask about Sam._

 _Dean leaned back in his seat as he watched Amelia. She could see the hint of anger in his expression. "He's dead," he finally said._

" _Are you sure?" Mia asked as the news sunk in._

" _Am I s—" Dean scoffed "Of course I'm sure that my brother is dead."_

" _And he's dead… not undead?" Mia questioned as she sat down on the pew in front of Dean._

" _He's dead, Mia! D-E-A-D! Dead!" Dean shouted angrily. Mia barely flinched._

" _Quiet, please. The dead ones will hear you," Mia warned._

" _The walkers?!" Dean asked. "Is that all you care about?! The damn walkers?! Your boyfriend—my brother is dead and all you can worry your pretty little head about is the damn dead ones!"_

 _He was shouting again, but Mia didn't hear him. She had already begun to retreat inside herself. It was a skill she had learned right after she killed Malachai. Sam had been the one to replace that coping skill. But he was gone—dead. Retreating was the only way that helped her hold onto her humanity and her sanity._

" _Mia!"_

 _She snapped out of her trance and looked up at Dean._

" _What?"_

" _You're the reason Sam had to go and lead the walkers off. You're the reason he's dead!" Dean exclaimed a little quieter than his shouting volume._

" _I know," Mia murmured._

 _Dean's voice and face softened instantly when he saw the grief in Amelia's expression. He cleared his throat and kneeled in front of her. He took her hand in his._

" _You know how much I care about you," Dean started and Mia nodded. The affections he had for Mia had begun to cause strife in their small group. "But I can't do this anymore."_

 _Mia looked from their hands to his face with tears in her eyes. "I know."_

* * *

"I love you?" Mia repeated aloud. "I love you? He waits until after saying what he said to tell me that he loves me?!"

"What exactly did he tell you before he dropped the bomb?" Max asked.

They walked in silence for a moment through the woods as Mia tried to decide whether or not to tell Max the truth.

"It doesn't matter," Mia sighed. "All that matters is that Rick dropped the bomb after a very bad moment between us. It's like he said it just to make up for what he did."

"Well, for all that it's worth, I think he meant it," Max shrugged as he hoisted his rifle higher on his shoulder.

"That's a whole other issue," Mia scoffed. "We're still just trying to get to know each other. We promised to take it slow. Saying _I love you_ is not taking it slow!"

"It's not, but if he meant it, then it's good that he told you," Max suggested.

" _If_ he meant it," Amelia repeated quietly. "I think he did mean it. Rick's not the kind of guy to say something like that just to quell an argument."

"Then what's the problem with him saying it?"

Mia turned to face Max. "I like Rick, a lot, but I don't know if I _love_ him."

"Did he ask you to say it back?" Max asked.

"No, but it's only a matter of time before he asks," Mia thought aloud.

"Do you think you could?"

"Yes," Amelia answered. "I think I might already, but we haven't even decided if we're right for each other."

"I think you know, Mia," Max told her with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Mia sighed as she dropped her gaze for a moment. She smiled when she looked up at Max again. "Thanks for listening."

Max gestured to his gun. "Thanks for teaching me. I should get back, though."

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Can you make it back on your own?"

"You've taught me well and the safe-zone isn't far. I'll be fine," Max assured her.

"Okay," Mia sighed. "Call for me if there's any trouble."

"I will," Max said before turning to leave.

Mia watched him until he walked out of sight. She shouldered her rifle and continued through the trees on her own. She went on for a while, keeping an eye out for a track or for walkers, but there was nothing in sight.

The woods were eerily quiet… until she heard the gunshot.

It was only one, but that was enough to send Mia running in the direction of the noise. She was shocked when she found Glenn lying behind a tree with blood running down the front of his shirt. He'd been shot.

Mia fell to her knees in front of him and pulled out the few supplies she'd brought with her. "How did this happen?"

"Nicholas," Glenn murmured. He flinched when she moved him forward slightly. She thanked whatever higher power was watching over him when she saw an exit wound.

"Nicholas? That bastard shot you?" Mia asked when she remembered his answer.

"I told him not to go outside the walls again, and then I saw him sneaking over so I followed him," Glenn explained. "He caught me by surprise. But I got away."

"You need to get back to the safe-zone and have Rosita clean this properly and stitch it up," Mia told him as she put a few gauzes over the wound. She taped it up the best she could. "You need to go, now."

"No way," Glenn argued. "If you're not going back, neither am I."

"You're going back, but I'm not until I find that bastard and put a bullet between his eyes," Mia said sternly.

"I'll go back," Glenn agreed, "if you swear you won't kill him."

"Why do you want him alive? He tried to shoot you!" Mia exclaimed. Glenn watched her for a moment.

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Glenn told her. "I'll go back, if you promise not to kill him; unless, he tries to kill you."

"He has a gun," Mia reminded him. "That means there's a bigger chance that I'm going to have to protect myself by shooting him."

"I know, but promise me anyways," Glenn said.

"Fine," Mia paused, "I won't kill him unless he tries to kill me first."

"Thank you," Glenn said quietly.

"Now, get yourself back to the Alexandria before you bleed out," Mia quipped. She gave Glenn her rifle.

"Be careful," Glenn said as she stood and took her pistol in her hands.

"I always am," Mia winked before beginning to follow Glenn's blood trail.

She had to follow it for a while before it ended. She picked up another trail nearby and started following that. As the sun started to set, she began to think about turning back, but then she heard another gunshot. It was too close to be anyone but Nicholas.

Mia went running and quickly found the man standing in front of a dead walker. She didn't bother pulling her gun when he was so distracted. She came up behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck while sweeping his legs out from under him with her own. Nicholas landed hard on his back and Mia pulled her gun while she leaned over him to get his.

She was unexpectedly kicked in the face and she squeezed her trigger by accident. Mia fell to the ground and covered her bleeding nose with one hand as she tried to use the other to get to her feet. Nicholas was one step ahead of her, though.

The man had pulled his gun from his belt and aimed it at Mia. She held up her gun in submission as she stood slowly, giving the illusion of surrender. When she was on her feet, she took her chance and knocked his gun away with one hand and fired a bullet into his shoulder with the other. He fell to the floor in a heap of groans and tears and she quickly dropped on top of him, holding him down as she punched him in the face a couple times with the gun. She pressed the barrel to the middle of his forehead.

"Aiden died because of you," Mia said through gritted teeth. "Noah died because of you. Then you tried to kill Glenn?" She paused for a moment as she pressed the barrel of her gun down harder on his forehead. "You shouldn't get to live. You don't get to live anymore"

"I was—I was scared. I was scared. I—I—I don't—I don't belong out here," he stuttered as he began to cry.

Mia wiped the blood off her face with her free hand. "You shouldn't get to live."

"I was scared. I was scared," he repeated.

"I don't care if you were scared!" Mia shouted at him. "You killed my brother!"

"I'm sorry. I never meant to—I'm sorry. I was scared!"

"You're always going to be scared," Mia panted. "You're always going to get people hurt. Killing you will save lives!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, don't kill me," Nicholas begged.

Mia pulled the gun away and dropped to the floor beside him. "I promised Glenn that I wouldn't kill you if I could help it. But I'm telling everyone what happened and we'll see what happens to you then."

* * *

 _She knew it was for the best. Even if he did love her, she knew he couldn't be around her without thinking of his brother. Mia had convinced herself it was for the best, but deep down she knew that it would only get worse after Dean left. She might be able to find a group, or two, but she'd never stop missing Sam and Dean. The brothers would always be in her heart._

" _Are you ready?" Dean asked as they came to the crossroads._

 _Mia faced him. "No, but that's okay. I'll go anyways."_

" _You have a family to find," Dean said as he looked down at her._

" _You were my family, Dean. You and Sam," Mia responded._

 _Dean sighed quietly as he dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment. "You were our family too."_

" _For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Mia told him._

" _Me too," Dean responded as they held each other's gaze. He cleared his throat when he broke their eye contact. "You got the map?"_

" _And the guns, ammo, and food and water," Mia nodded._

" _Good. I guess I'll see you when I see you," Dean said._

 _Mia nodded. "See you when I see you."_

 _She picked up her bags and rifle and started to turn around._

" _Mia," Dean called after her. She faced him again and he sighed heavily. "You know that I love you, right?"_

 _Mia smiled weakly. "I know. I love you too."_

 _She turned around and started down the long road ahead of her. Mia knew that Dean had meant what he said differently than she did, but she chose to accept it and move on. She had no idea when she'd see him next, if ever._

* * *

It was hard work—helping Nicholas back to the safe-zone—not just physically, but mentally as well. Every minute, Mia would get the urge to leave him out there for the walkers, but then Glenn's voice would occupy her thoughts and she'd continue to help him. By the time they finally reached the gate, the sun had already set and Mia was sure that her mother's meeting had already started.

"It's Mia and Nicholas," Amelia called out. "Open up!"

The gate opened and Mia was surprise to see Spencer standing there. He was supposed to be at the meeting.

"What are you—"

"You should get to the meeting. There's been a—" Spencer stopped when he saw Nicholas and Mia's face. "What happened to you two?"

"It was an accident," Mia answered without hesitation. "What happened at the meeting?"

"Rick found a walker inside the walls because no one was watching the gate," Spencer explained.

"You can make it to the infirmary on your own, right?" Mia asked. She didn't wait for him to answer, though. She let go of him and let the man drop to the floor in a bloody heap. "Good."

"Mia!" Spencer called after her.

"Don't worry about him, Spence, he's fine," Mia told him before turning and leaving.

She ran all the way to the small courtyard where the meeting was being held.

"I'm not sorry for what I said last night," Rick's voice reached her before she rounded the corner. "I'm sorry for not saying it sooner. You're not ready."

Mia took a moment to wipe as much blood as she could from her face before walking into the courtyard.

"But you have to be. Right now, you have to be," Rick said as his gaze flickered to Mia. She knew he was curious to know what happened, but she urged him to continue and took her spot next to her parents.

He swallowed and looked down at the dead walker on the floor as he faced the crowd. "Luck runs out."

Mia pursed her lips as her eyes scanned the faces of the crowd. She stopped short when she saw Jessie's eyes widen and shake her head. Mia followed her gaze and stepped back subconsciously when she saw Pete standing in the gateway to the courtyard with Michonne's katana in his hand.

"You're not one of us!" Mia could tell he was drunk by the slur of his words and the way he stumbled forward. He raised his voice when he shouted, "You're not one of us!"

Mia's father rushed in front of the taller man. "Pete! Pete, you don't want to do this."

"Get out of my way, Reg," Pete mumbled angrily. Mia placed a hand on the gun on her belt and slipped across the yard so she was standing just a couple feet from Rick.

"Reg," Mia's mother warned her husband.

"Just stop," Reg tried again. "Just stop."

"Get away from me," Pete grumbled.

"Reg," Deanna repeated.

Mia glanced at Rick and saw that he was also reaching for his gun, but she followed his gaze when it lifted to someone. Carol.

"Not now," Carol advised. Mia narrowed her eyes at the duo, but Rick obeyed and released the weapon.

Mia turned her gaze back to her father and Pete.

"Get away!" Pete seethed. He gave Mia's father a rough shove and lifted his other arm—the one with the katana. Mia pulled the gun out of her belt and aimed it at Pete, but by then it was too late.

Pete slid the sharp blade across Reg's neck and hit the artery. Mia gasped and placed her hands over her mouth, dropping her gun, as her eyes began to burn with tears. She ran over to the spot where her mother had caught her father. She fell to her knees beside them and pressed a hand over her father's neck in an attempt to slow the bleeding. Mia heard something happening behind her, but she wouldn't dare divert her attention from her father.

She ignored her mother's cries and forced the woman to replace her hand on his neck. Mia hurried and removed the flannel t-shirt off her back. She didn't bother worrying that she was sitting in freezing weather in just a tank top and wadded the fabric up over the wound. She put as much pressure as she could on top of the shirt, but despite the effort, the blood began to seep through.

"Someone get me another shirt!" Mia called out, but no one answered or moved.

"Mia, he's gone," she could hear Rick's voice, but she couldn't accept what he was saying as the truth.

She looked at her father and saw that his eyes were closed. "No."

"He's gone, Mia," Rick repeated.

"No, he can't be. He can't be. He can't be dead! He's my dad. He's my dad! I—I just—I just got him back. I can't—I can't loose him now. I can't," Mia stuttered as she frantically continued to apply pressure to her father's neck.

"Mia," Rick said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked away from her dad and up at Rick. "He's dead."

Mia turned back to Reg and stared at him for a moment. "No," she whispered. She swallowed and started shaking her head. "No. No. No. No!"

She got to her feet and picked up the gun she had dropped. She stepped up in front of Pete, who was being held down by Abraham and cocked the gun. She aimed it at the killer's head as she sobbed.

"Mia. Mia." Rick said as he stepped between her and Pete. He grabbed the gun and took it from her with one swift pull. When she went to reach for it, he grabbed her by her wrists. She started to cry harder as he held her hands out in front of her. "I know what you're feeling. The grief is overwhelming you. You just have to focus on one thing, okay?"

"No, I can't," Mia cried. "I can't."

"Just find that one thing that makes you strong," Rick said as he kept a hold on her. "Find the thing that makes you want to live, Mia. Just latch onto it and let it in."

Mia calmed down for a moment, keeping her eyes locked onto Rick's. She stopped sobbing and took a shaky breath. She pulled one hand from Rick's and placed it on his chest as she seemed to find the ability to focus. Rick moved his hand further up her other arm so he was holding onto her shoulder. "Just breathe it in and blow everything else out."

Mia took another deep breath and let it out slowly. When she tried to do it again, she suddenly felt everything well up inside of her; all the memories and grief she'd been ignoring for the past months. It was the purest kind of pain she had ever felt. Everything came flooding through her instantaneously. She attempted to hold up the emotional walls she had built up over the last couple years, but failed. She yelled in pain as she clutched her head, but only for a few seconds.

She groaned as she slid her hands to her temples. She let out a few heavy breaths as she seemed to gain control of her emotions. Rick reached for her—to comfort her—but she pulled away slowly.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"No," Mia murmured as her eyes met his. "But I will be."

She made her way back to her mother—who was still holding onto her husband's body—and lowered herself to her knees beside them. She placed a hand on her mother's back.

Rick looked away from Mia and down at the gun he had just taken from her. He looked at Pete. He realized he had never wanted anyone dead as much as he did Pete.

"Rick," Deanna called out quietly. He faced the woman, who took a deep breath and said, "Do it."

Rick knew what she meant, but he looked to Mia for confirmation. Her gaze was locked on her father's body. She seemed to sense Rick's eyes on her and looked up at him, meeting his gaze. Rick inhaled slowly when he saw the blank, emotionless look in her eyes. Mia's eyes flickered to Pete then returned to Rick. Rick turned, raised the gun and fired one shot straight at Pete's head.

Screams and gasps filled the moments that followed, but Rick and Mia just looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

"Rick?"

Everyone looked towards the front of the courtyard. It took a moment for Rick to realize that it was Morgan who was standing between Daryl and Aaron. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, as if to doubt if it was really him, but accepted that it had to be him.

"Mia!"

Spencer's voice reached her ears before her brother rounded the corner. "Mia! There's someone at the gate. He says he knows you and—" That was when he saw his father's bloody body on the floor.

"Wha—what happened?" He asked as he walked closer to the body of his father. When no one answered he raised his voice and repeated, "What happened?!"

"Pete murdered him, Spencer," Mia told her brother, "but Rick executed him for it."

Spencer looked from his father's body to Pete's. "Good."

Mia pursed her lips before asking, "What did you say about the gate, Spence? What did you say?"

"There's a man—says he knows you," Spencer answered in a sort of dazed state as he stared at his father.

"Did this man have a name?" Rick asked when he grabbed Mia. She had tried to leave on her own.

"Dean. He said his name was Dean," Spencer answered as he kneeled beside his mother.

"Are you sure?" Rick asked when he saw Mia's expression.

"Yes!" Spencer shouted over his shoulder.

"Damn it!" Mia muttered before sprinting past Morgan, Daryl, and Aaron out of the courtyard.

She could hear people following her as she neared the gate, but she didn't stop to see who they were. Instead she focused on getting the gate opened. Once it was unlocked, she pushed both of the gates opened with one hard shove.

Mia inhaled sharply when she saw him.

"Hey, Ames," Dean sighed. She took a split second to look him over. He was dirty, but looked almost exactly the same as the last time she laid eyes on him.

"Dean," Mia breathed. When he opened his arms she didn't hesitate to jump into them. He wasn't just an old friend. He was family, and him showing up at the safe-zone proved to her that they still were.

"Mia?" Rick panted when he reached them. He had his hand on his gun as he watched the stranger hold onto Mia like she was his sister… or ex girlfriend.

Dean put her down, but placed a kiss on her forehead before she turned to face Rick and some of his own family members.

"Rick, Daryl, Michonne," Mia started, "this is Dean. He's a—He's my… He's someone that I care about a lot."

Rick narrowed his eyes at the man and tightened his hold on his gun.

 **A/N: There's chapter 5 part 2! I'm actually shocked I got it up in a week. I would really appreciate some feedback on this chapter in a review or PM. And please follow or favorite if you haven't already.**

 **Question:** Would you prefer flashbacks about Mia's time with Sam and Dean or flashbacks about what happened to the other group she lost (these would be longer, and in my opinion would be more interesting)?

 **Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 6 - Part 1

Set during 6x01 "First Time Again"

 _We're bullet proof until we bleed out_

 _And even though we always try to hide our instincts by our pride_

 _In our struggle to survive, we keep the warpath by our side_

 _We strike the sky until the sun bows_

 _And fly until our feathers burn out_

 _All our lives we've been apart_

 _A vicious cycle from the start_

 _In our struggle to survive, we keep the warpath by our side_

" _The Warpath" – Conner Youngblood_

 **Flashbacks are in italics. New OC's faceclaims are on my profile.**

Chapter 6: Part 1 – Warpath

" _How come Flecher never chooses you to do the dirty work?" Tierney asked as she loaded the dirty clothes into the basket._

" _Because I never mouth back to him," Amelia responded with a smug smirk._

" _Or try hit on his girlfriend," Eloise said, smiling as she picked at the fire with a stick._

" _Shay came onto me," Tierney retorted. "I'm just returning her affection."_

 _Eloise and Amelia shared a look then faced Tierney again and said in chorus, "Sure."_

" _Shay wants me," Tierney said. She shrugged her shoulders and walked away with the basket of clothes in her hands. The older girl had a knife strapped to her hip for her short journey to the river._

" _Do you think she's telling the truth?" Eloise asked as she looked at Mia._

" _Yeah, but Shay will never admit it," Mia replied with a sidelong look at her friend._

" _So, you think another couple's about to form?" Eloise questioned._

" _Nylah and Julius aren't really a couple," Mia answered. "They're just hooking up."_

" _What about you and Koda?"_

 _Mia looked at Eloise with a raised eyebrow. "Me and—yeah, no. We're just friends."_

" _He likes you," said Eloise with utmost certainty._

" _He does not," Mia retorted._

" _He does too," Eloise said and continued with a smile, "but he'll never admit it."_

" _Levi likes you," Mia told her with a quirk of her head.._

" _I know, and I like him, but he actually knows it," Eloise said. "That's the difference."_

" _Then why aren't you together?" Mia raised an eyebrow._

" _Because we can't be together in this world," Eloise said._

 _Mia raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"_

 _Eloise watched her for a moment. "Because everyone I love dies. And from what I've heard, everyone you love has died too."_

" _Not everyone," Amelia said and took a deep breath._

* * *

Mia's damp hair was hanging over her shoulders when she walked into Rick's room. She used a towel to dry her hair as she stood in front of him. He stood from the bed and tucked a wet piece of hair behind her ear. Mia smiled weakly.

"I feel like his blood is still on me," Mia murmured quietly.

"It going to feel like that for a while," Rick responded as his hand lingered on her cheek.

"I know," Mia said as she looked up at him and smiled wider this time. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," Rick said. He caressed her cheek slowly. "I'll stay as long as you need."

"You might be here for a while then," Mia said, smirking.

"As long as you need," Rick repeated with a soft smile. They lied down on the bed and Mia leaned her head on Rick's shoulder while he lied back on the pillows.

"Where's Dean?" Rick asked.

Mia glanced up at him. "He's getting settled in. He's rooming with Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene."

"They're okay with that?"

"They met him and they seemed okay with it," Amelia paused, "plus I vouched for him."

"That's good," Rick sighed.

"Are you okay with him being here?" Mia questioned.

"Yeah," Rick answered "Of course."

"We were never together—you believe that, right?" Amelia asked.

"I believe you, but I do think he cared about you more than you think he did," Rick explained. He paused for a moment as she looked up at him again. "I saw the way he looked at you."

"I know he's in love with me or at least he was, and I love him, but only as a brother, nothing more," Mia said as Rick held her gaze.

He cleared his throat. "Well, if that ever changes, let me know."

"I may care about him, but I _like_ you," Mia told him. "I may even love you, but I need time to figure that out."

Rick smiled lightly. "Take all the time you need."

He kissed her on the top of her head as she laid it down on his arm.

* * *

" _Mia, Koda, Eloise, Julius, Tierney, and Axel took turns on watch last night so tonight it will be Zed, Levi, Shay, Nylah, and I will take turns on watch tonight," Flecher announced at dinner._

" _We never get to take watch together," Shay said to Mia once Flecher sat back down._

" _That's because I'm always with Tierney, and Flecher doesn't want you to be on watch with her," Mia explained._

" _He has nothing to be worried about," Shay said with a sigh._

" _He doesn't?" Mia asked as she looked at her friend._

 _Shay scoffed. "I don't like girls."_

" _You like flirting with them, though," Mia said. "And looking at them," she added as an afterthought._

" _I—I don't—" Shay took a deep breath "—I don't like girls."_

" _Shay," Mia said as she leaned closer to the older girl and placed a hand on her arm, "It's okay to be a lesbian or bisexual or whatever the hell it is you are."_

 _Shay held Amelia's gaze for a moment before letting out a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt Flecher."_

" _Flecher will get over it," Mia dismissed quickly. "He's a big boy."_

 _Shay sighed. "I know, but I don't even know if Tierney still wants me."_

" _Oh, she wants you," Mia laughed breathlessly as she gestured to the blonde girl sitting across the fire. Shay's gaze followed her gesture and she saw that Tierney was already watching her. "Just get it over with. Dump Flecher and tell Tierney the truth."_

" _Fine, you win, but if this crashes and burns I'm blaming you," Shay said as she pointed at Mia._

" _That's fine with me," Mia said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'm going to bed."_

" _Wish me luck," Shay said as Mia stood._

" _Good luck," Mia said as she dumped her leftovers onto Shay's plate and put her own plate into the water bin. She started towards her tent, but stopped suddenly._

" _What's wrong?" Shay asked over her shoulder._

" _I just got a bad feeling," Mia explained._

" _Hey," Shay said, causing Mia to face her, "just go to bed and you'll see that everything is fine in the morning."_

* * *

"My team, we saw it earlier, back when we were on one of those first scouts, finding out what was around here. It was a camp at the bottom. The people there must have blocked the exits with one of those trucks back when everything started to go bad. They didn't make it. They were all roamers, maybe a dozen of them," Heath explained to the room full of people.

"And no one's been back since?" Maggie questioned.

Heath shook his head. "Every time we're scavenging—they're all in the different direction and I never really felt like having a picnic next to the camp that ate itself."

"So, all the while the walkers have been drawn by the sound, and making more sound, and drawing more in," Michonne said.

"And here we are," Mia sighed.

Rick looked down at her and she looked up at him. He had his hand on her shoulder and she placed her hand over it reassuringly.

"Now, what I'm proposing—I know it sounds risky, but walkers are already slipping through the exits," Rick explained. "One of the trucks keeping the walkers in could go off the edge any day now. Maybe, after one more hard rain. That exit sends them east—all of them—right at us.

"This isn't about _if_ it gives, it's _when_. It's gonna happen. That's why we have to do this soon," Rick said. Mia looked at her mother standing by the window and swallowed hard.

"This is—uh—I don't even have another word for it. This is terrifying," Carol announced in a timid voice. Mia had to stop herself from rolling her eyes and looked around quickly. The Alexandrians believed the woman's act. "All of it, but it doesn't sound like there's any other way."

"Maybe there is," Carter interjected. Rick let go of Mia's shoulder and stepped closer to the man. "Couldn't we just build up the weak spots? I—I could draw up plans. I worked on the wall with Reg. The construction crew—we can try and make it safe."

"Even if we could, the sound of those walkers are drawing more and more everyday," Rick said. "Building up the exits won't change that."

"Rick's right," Mia said, standing up. "The dead ones won't stop once they get a chance to come here"

"We're going to do what Rick says—the plan he's laid out," Deanna said from her spot by the window.

"I told you all," Rick started, "we're going to have Daryl lead them away."

"Me too," Sasha said from her spot beside Mia. "I'll take a car, ride next to him. Can't just be him." She continued quickly. "I'll keep them coming and Daryl will keep them from getting sloppy."

"I'll go with her," Abraham muttered. He looked up at Rick. "It's a long way to go solo."

Rick massaged his hand as he thought for a moment. He looked around at everyone after a little while. "All right, we'll have two teams; one on each side of the forest to help manage this thing. We're going to have a few people on watch from now on; Rosita, Spencer, and Holly—so they're out." Rick paused as he gestured. "So, who's in?"

Rick already knew that Amelia was planning on going with them so she sat back down and watched as several Alexandrians volunteered to go. Some were accepted while others weren't. Carter began to question Rick's leadership skills, but Deanna stopped him before he got too eager. She kept quiet when Nicholas volunteered to go. Glenn had promised her that he'd handle the coward, and Mia trusted him so she let him deal with it.

"We'll make this work. We'll keep this place safe—keep our families safe. We will," Rick promised to the Alexandrians.

"The plan," Carter paused, "go through it again."

"Man, he just said it," Daryl reminded him.

"Every part—again—" Carter insisted. "—the exact plan."

* * *

 _Mia was sleeping when the strangers broke into their camp._

 _It was chaos. All she really remembered was the screams and the blood. The next second she was bounded and gagged and blinded. She had been hit a few times, and it left her with a bloody lip and bruised ribs._

 _By the time the seize was over, three of her people had been killed, leaving eight alive. Every one of them was thrown into the back the intruders' trucks and driven somewhere. They were taken to a farm and unloaded from the trucks. Their blindfolds were removed and they were taken into a large barn._

 _Mia was struggling against her captors, but they were stronger and taller than her. She looked around for her group members but only saw eight of them. Nylah, Zed, and Levi were missing. Mia knew they were probably dead._

 _There was nothing in the stalls inside the barn except for chains hanging from the ceiling. Mia recognized the chains as the kind slaughterhouses used to hang their dead livestock. She continued to fight her captors as they shoved her into one of the stalls and tied her arms up in the chains. Her feet were barely able to brush up against the floor, straining her arms and shoulders. She tried to plant her feet and shy away from the men who'd brought her inside the barn when they pulled out a long knife and approached her._

 _She screamed when they ran the blade over her arms, her stomach, and her back a bunch of times. Mia began to cry as the burning sensation began to grow._

 _There were echoes of cries and sobs throughout the barn and that only made Mia feel more helpless. As she began to bleed out, she realized she couldn't help the people that she loved. She couldn't help her family and that hurt her more than the cuts on her body._

* * *

"Hey, Sherrif," Mia greeted as she walked into the kitchen.

Rick looked at her and smiled. "Hey."

She dropped her gaze to Judith, who was riding on Rick's hip. "Hey, Beautiful."

"Want to hold her?" Rick asked, his eyes flickering between his daughter and Mia.

"Of course," Mia smiled. She took Judith into her arms and smiled wider when Judith giggled. "She's so cute. You're so lucky."

Rick's expression dropped slightly when he saw the way Mia looked at Judith. "You wanted kids before the outbreak?"

"Yes," Mia breathed. "I want four." She laughed under her breath. "I _wanted_ four."

"You don't want to bring a child into this world?" Rick asked even though he knew the answer.

"Nope," Mia responded. "I always wanted the normal life. Big house, white picket fence, kids running around in the front yard with their dog."

Rick stepped closer to Mia and placed two fingers under her chin to make her eyes meet his. He smiled weakly down at her. "I will do everything in my power to give that to you."

"Thank you, Rick," Mia told him.

He stepped back slightly. "I don't think you should come with us. I think you should stay here with your mom and brother and make sure everything is okay while we're gone."

Mia looked from Judith to Rick. "If you're going, I'm going. There's nothing you could say to make me change my mind."

"I just want to keep you safe," Rick admitted.

"I know," Mia said with a small smile. "And maybe you'll get your chance."

* * *

 _Her group was all that Mia could think about. Three of them were most likely dead. The rest of them were bleeding out alongside her._

" _Mia," Tierney whispered from the stall next to her. "Mia."_

" _Hey, blondie," Mia joked with her eyes closed. Her captors had continued to reopen her wounds to make sure she was still bleeding. And that only made her weaker and weaker._

" _I overheard—" the blonde girl stopped to take a deep breath "—some of the men—" Another heavy breath "—they said something about—" another breath "—a fight with walkers."_

" _Fight with walkers?" Mia asked under her breath._

" _I think they're gonna make us fight walkers," Tierney said. "We'll lose. We're weak and starved. There's no way we'll win."_

" _I know." Mia took a deep breath. "I know."_

* * *

"I know this sounds insane," Rick paused as he looked down at everyone, "this is an insane world. We have to come for them before they come for us! It's that simple."

He glanced over his shoulder at the quarry filled with walkers before looking back at the Alexandrians. "This is where it all starts tomorrow. Tobin gets in the truck, opens the exit, and we're off. He hops out and catches up with his team of reds, staying on the west side of the road. Daryl gets on his bike—"

A loud rumbling sound came from behind the group.

"You see that?" Sasha asked as she pointed to the trucks on the upper level of the quarry.

They all watched as the ground gave out from under one of the trucks. The large vehicle fell from the second level, opening the exit for the walkers to get out.

"It's opened!" Mia shouted as she started towards Rick.

"We gotta do this now!" He called out as he got off the trucks. "Tobin's group get moving, now!"

"No. Rick, we're not ready!" Carter exclaimed.

"Sasha! Abraham!" Rick directed.

"Damn straight! We'll do this live!" Abraham responded as they got into the car.

Mia waited off to the side as Rick continued to give instructions to the people who were still standing around. She came up beside him as Carter grabbed his attention.

"Rick, this was supposed to be a dry run!" The man told him.

"Daryl get ready!" Rick instructed over his shoulder.

"Rick, we haven't even gone through the whole plan!" Carter continued.

"Feel free to go back, but we're finishing this!" Mia told him when Rick started to walk away.

"Tobin, you hit it on my signal!" Rick shouted loud enough for the man in the truck to hear. "They're headed for home!"

He turned to Mia and placed a hand on her cheek. "Stick with me, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded.

* * *

 _It only took a day for Mia to figure out whether or not Tierney had heard right._

 _It started out like the other days with the men coming in to open up the shallow wounds again. But they came back sooner than expected. Each of Mia's family members were untied from their chains and taken them down._

 _Mia hands were tied up and led outside the barn. Her jaw dropped open when she saw that the corral outside was filled with walkers and there were spectators standing a safe distance from the cage._

 _She was lined up with her other group members and a tall, white man in a hat started to pace in front of them._

" _So, who wants to go first?" He asked as he looked at them._

 _"I'll go," Mia said without hesitation. She always said she would die to keep her new family safe, and this was her chance to try to protect them._

 _"Sorry, little lady," the man tilted his hat towards her, "men only."_

" _Why?" She asked before she could stop herself._

" _Because we have something else planned for you and your lady friends," he explained._

 _Mia exchanged a look with Koda, who was standing next to her._

" _Me," Flecher volunteered, "I'll go."_

" _No," Shay and everyone echoed._

" _Take me," Flecher persisted._

" _If you insist," the man in the hat smiled and pointed to Flecher. "You must be ready to die."_

* * *

They had managed to get the walkers past the curve without much difficulty. Rick, Amelia, Michonne, and Morgan fired the flares to keep the dead ones on track and the car and motorcycle kept their attention to keep them moving forward.

Rick held Mia's hand as they ran through the trees beside the horde of walkers. They stopped after Glenn's group joined theirs.

"It's working," Carter noticed. "You were right."

Mia raised an eyebrow as he held out a hand towards Rick. He let go of Mia's hand and shook it shortly with a nod before turning to look at the rest of their group.

"Everyone, we need to finish this," he told them. "We have to keep moving and fan out down that thing, front to back. Like we said, cops at a parade.

"Glenn, you take the back," Rick decided, "you got the other walkie."

"Got it," Glenn confirmed.

Rick looked at Mia and nodded. She looked around at the group. "If it gets sloppy, we fire our weapons, pull them back on track."

"I'll hit the front," Carter told them before he started jogging.

"Okay," Rick paused as he took Mia's hand again. "One after the other."

They had been walking together for a few minutes when the screaming started in the distance. Rick picked up his walkie-talkie and pressed the talk button.

"Tobin, they're breaking off," he said clearly into the mic.

"That do you want us to do?" Tobin's voice came in over the speaker.

"Fire your guns and draw them back," Rick instructed.

Mia and Rick shared a look before they both started running.

* * *

 _There was nothing they could do to stop it. Mia and the rest of her group were forced to watch as Flecher was sent into the corral with nothing to defend himself but a short, jagged knife. It wasn't even long enough to kill a walker. Mia knew he would have to stab one at least six times to kill it, but he didn't have that kind of time._

 _Flecher managed for the first few minutes just fine. He killed three walkers without getting bitten or killed, but then the other walkers started to round up on him._

" _We have to do something," Shay exclaimed._

 _Mia looked at her. "There's nothing we can do but watch."_

" _This is just a game for them," Koda said as he nodded towards the spectators._

" _A sick game at that," Tierney scoffed._

 _They all winced when Flecher barely escaped a walker's teeth._

* * *

Mia stopped short when they saw Carter being bitten on the face by a walker. Rick pulled Carter away from the walker and killed the dead one quickly. He kneeled next to Carter as he tried to quiet him, but Mia saw it wasn't working. The walkers on the road were being pulled off more and more.

"You got to be quiet," Rick said quietly.

Mia kneeled in front of Rick and turned Carter's head to the side so she could place her knife at the base of his neck. She knew there was no way to save his life. She took a deep breath before plunging the weapon into his neck, killing him instantly.

"It's working," Tobin declared over the walkie. "The gunfire is bringing them back on the road."

When Mia looked up from Carter she saw Rick already looking at her. He nodded shortly and stood up, offering a hand to help her up. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. Mia pursed her lips when she saw Morgan looking at her.

"You got it, Tobin," Rick said into the walkie as the walkers started to get back onto the road.

"Copy that," Tobin responded. "What was that screaming?"

"That was Carter. He got bit right in the face," Rick said. "Mia stopped him."

Rick put his walkie-talkie onto his belt and turned to Morgan. "We have a good hour until we hand 'em to green when we hand them off to Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham. Why don't you head back, tell everyone what's happening? They should know."

"Okay, Rick, I just—" Morgan started.

"Will you do that for me?" Rick asked, cutting him off.

Morgan nodded.

"I'll take care of that one," Rick said as he pointed at a walker behind them. "Michonne, you take point."

"I know how it is," Morgan said once Rick was gone. "I do."

"Yeah," Mia said. "I do too."

"We all do," Michonne sighed.

* * *

" _No!" Shay screamed when Flecher was bit in the neck by a walker._

 _Mia managed to quiet her down to stop from drawing too much attention to herself, but she couldn't stop her from crying. And she didn't want her to. She was being forced to watch a man she had been with for the past couple months bleed out in front of her. No one could understand that pain like Mia could._

* * *

They had always been prepared for something to go wrong. They had gone through the plan enough times to know what to do if something did miss the mark, but they had no idea what to do when a loud, incessant horn began to blow off in the distance.

Mia grabbed Rick's hand and they jogged farther into the woods together when the back half of the horde began to break off in their direction.

"It's coming from home," Mia stated as she listened to the horn and realized what direction it was coming from.

Rick, Mia and Michonne shared a look before breaking into a run again.

* * *

 _Mia grit her teeth as the man from before began to pace in front of them again. He was still wearing the cowboy hat, but now he was pairing it with a cheerful smile. It was as if he'd just watched his favorite movie, not a man be murdered._

" _Well, that was entertaining," he said with a sigh._

" _You're sick," Eloise said with a scoff._

" _And it looks like we have a volunteer for the hunt," the man decided._

" _What hunt?" Mia asked._

" _Don't worry about that, my dear," he responded. "You'll have your turn."_

 **Please give me some feedback on this chapter and favorite or follow. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 6 - Part 2

Set during 6x03 "First Time Again" and 6x05 "Now"

 _This medicine is wearing thin now_

 _We're bullet proof until we bleed out_

 _And even though we always try to hide our instincts by our pride_

 _In our struggle to survive, we keep the warpath by our side_

 _We strike the sky until the sun bows_

 _And fly until our feathers burn out_

 _All our lives we've been apart  
_

 _A vicious cycle from the start_

 _In our struggle to survive, we keep the warpath by our side_

" _The Warpath" – Conner Youngblood_

Chapter 6: Part 2 – Warpath

The horn was still blowing as they ran through the forest. They had met up with Glenn's group not long after realizing the noise was coming from Alexandria. They needed to keep moving in order to stay in front of the horde of walkers behind them, but they paused every once and a while to try to reach Tobin and his team over the walkie-talkie.

"Try again," Glenn panted as they came to another stop.

"Tobin, it's not stopping. Light it up! You hear me?" Rick commanded over the walkie. There was radio silence after that. "Tobin?!"

Mia shared a look with Michonne when no one replied. Rick and Glenn broke into a run, while Mia took down a lone walker with her knife. She caught up to Rick a moment later and continued to run by his side.

She could hear the other Alexandrians complaining behind her, but she ignored it. She did glance back to make sure they were okay, though.

"Rick!" Daryl's voice came in over the walkie-talkie.

"I'm here!" Rick replied as they continued to run towards home.

"What's going on back there?"

"Half of 'em broke off. They're going towards Alexandria," Rick answered.

"Towards you?" Abraham radioed in.

"We ran ahead. There's a horn or something, coming from the east. It's not stopping," Rick informed them quickly.

"I'm gonna gas it up, turn back!" Daryl told them.

"We have it! You keep going!" Rick responded.

"They're gonna need our help," Daryl said.

"Gotta keep the herd moving!" Rick said as he spared a glance in Mia's direction. He'd continued to make sure she was by his side as they ran.

"Not if it's going down, we don't."

"The rest of that herd turns around, the bad back there gets worse," Rick reminded him. The walkie went silent for a moment. "Daryl?!"

"Yeah, I heard you," Daryl answered.

They continued to hurry along after that, weaving through the trees and jumping over large rocks and raised tree roots. Mia stopped when one of the Alexandrians tripped and hurt her ankle. Glenn got the woman to her feet and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. He became a crutch for her as they continued on their way.

"Mia!" Rick shouted and she ran to catch up to him.

"I'm right here," she told him between heavy breaths. "I'm right here."

He placed a hand against her cheek and smiled weakly. "We're here."

Rick dropped his hand into hers as the rest of their group caught up to them and looked at the others.

"All right, listen up. Here's the new plan," Rick said. "I go back, get the RV, circle around the woods on Redding. I'll get in front of them before they get there. I can lead them away again."

"RV's a mile back," Mia said, pulling on his arm lightly. "I'll go with you."

"I'll handle it," Rick said as he looked at her. "Just get home. They're gonna need you there."

"Mia, Glenn, Michonne," Rick said as he nodded his head away from the group. They followed him willingly to a spot where the others wouldn't be able to hear what they said.

"If something's in front of you, you kill it," Rick instructed and let go of Mia's hand. "No hiding, no waiting. You keep going."

"I'm going with you," Mia said, determined. "You're not doing this on your own."

"Mia, I can do this," Rick told her. "You need to get home to your family."

"You are my family," Mia responded. "All of these people are."

"You need to help me," Michonne said to the younger woman. "We've got to get these people back."

"You need to help her," Rick agreed. "But they aren't all going to make it."

"Rick," Michonne said.

"You try to save them, you try," Rick said. "But they can't keep up, you keep going. You have to. You make sure you get back."

"We need a moment," Mia said to Glenn and Michonne and they obliged, leaving her alone with Rick.

"I don't want you to do this by yourself," Mia said to him.

"We don't have a choice," Rick told her. He placed his hand on her cheek again. "I have to do this."

"I know," Mia nodded weakly. "But I still don't want you to."

"I love you, Mia.," Rick sighed. "And I'll see you back in Alexandria."

"Rick, I—"

She was cut off by the sound of a scream and the snarl of a walker. Both Rick and Mia went running towards the sounds.

They found one of the Alexandrians being bitten by a walker across the neck. Glenn and Rick pulled the walker off the man, but it was obvious that he was going to die soon. His neck continued to bleed until he lost consciousness and then he was gone. The horn stopped as he died.

"The horn stopped," Rick paused, "good."

Rick went around the body and picked off a knife and a gun before looking up at Mia and the rest of the group.

"Get back safe," Rick told Mia before he got up and walked off.

* * *

And she did get back safe.

Annie, Sturgess, and David were dead, though, and Scott was hurt and Glenn and Nicholas were missing. The only ones who made it back beside Amelia and Scott were Michonne and Heath. _Rick was right,_ Mia thought, _not everyone made it._

Rick hadn't made it back either, which only made Mia more concerned. She needed him to be okay.

She was speaking with Maggie about Glenn when they heard the shouting.

"Open the gate!"

Mia immediately recognized it as Rick's voice.

She ran with the others to the gate and opened it, having her knife and gun ready. Mia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Rick running towards them with a horde of walkers trailing behind him. He was alive. She had never felt rush of emotions she did at that moment.

When he reached them, they closed the gate just as the walkers reached the walls. Mia went straight to Rick, though. She gave him a quick glance to make sure he wasn't hurt and saw that his hand was bleeding.

"What happened?" Mia asked as she grabbed his hand. She turned it over and saw that it wasn't a bite. It was a deep laceration, though. She tore off a piece of her shirt and wound it around the cut tightly.

"I'm fine," Rick panted. "I'm okay now."

"Now?" Mia looked up and met his blue eyes.

"Now," Rick said as he took her hand in his.

Mia glanced down at their hands and smiled. She looked up at Rick and nodded. "Now."

She didn't hesitate to cup her hand around the back of Rick's neck and pull him down towards her. Mia went up on her toes and met his lips with hers. She pushed herself against him, the blood rushing through her body. His hand fell upon her cheek, and the smell of sweat and blood surrounded her. He put his other hand around her back, giving her the sense of protection and calmness she craved. At that moment, Mia felt as if they were the only two people on earth and that nothing else mattered. Not the walkers or the Alexandrians. They were it.

"I love you too," Mia breathed as they parted. "I love you too, Rick Grimes."

* * *

"Sit still," Mia said with a playful smile as she pressed a bandage over Rick's cut on his forehead.

"I'm trying," Rick said as he placed his hand on her hips. "But it's hard when your girlfriend is standing so close and you can't kiss her."

"Girlfriend, huh?" Mia said. She sighed. "I like the sound of it."

"Me too," Rick said as he smiled up at her.

"You can kiss me when I'm done, Rick," she told him as she finished cleaning the blood around the wound.

"Sounds like a plan," Rick said quietly and let her finish her work in peace.

Mia pressed her lips together as she sat down in front of him. She took a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly. "My mom wants me to be the doctor here now that Pete's gone."

"Do you think you're ready?" Rick asked her.

"No," Mia shook her head. "I'm not a doctor. I told her to find someone else."

"Is there anyone else that could do it?" Rick asked.

"There is someone, but I don't think she's ready either," Mia sighed. She dropped her head into her hands.

Rick reached across and pulled them away from her face so she was looking at him. "You can do it together."

"It's just that I don't want to be stuck here being the doctor. I want to be able to go out there and be who I am. I need to be able to go out there," Mia explained tiredly.

"You will," Rick promised. "You'll be able to go out there whenever you want, but promise me that you won't go without me."

"Why?" Mia asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. "Afraid I'll get myself killed, Sheriff?"

"No," Rick sighed with a smile. "I just want to be with you… in here and out there."

"You will be," Mia promised as she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. She pulled away a second later and smiled wide. "You're all patched up. Now, we just have to worry about the horde of walkers outside our walls."

"Sounds fun," Rick joked.

"Oh, super fun," Mia smirked.

He took her hand with his unhurt one and they walked out to the other Alexandrians together.

They slowed when they saw everyone gathered around the part of the wall that had been hit by the truck.

"You have this, Rick," Mia told him as he faced her. "You're really good at inspirational speeches… sort of."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Rick sighed and glanced at the Alexandrians and his people. He looked back at Mia and cupped one side of her face. "You're right. I have this, but only because you're here. You're my person, Mia, and I need you. Are you with me?"

"I'm with you," Mia agreed with a curt nod. "I'll be with you for as long as I live."

"Let's go, then," Rick said as he dropped his hand into hers. Hand in hand they walked over to their people.

"You can hear it," Rick said as they neared the others. They all turned to look at him and Mia. "Some of you saw it. It got back here; half of them… still enough to surround us twenty deep."

He continued after a glancing at Mia. "Look I know you're scared. You haven't seen anything like this. You haven't been through anything like this. But we're safe, for now. The panel the truck hit seems intact. We reinforced it just in case. Either way, the wall's gonna hold together. Can you?"

"The others are gonna be back," Mia said after a short silence.

"They're gonna be back," Rosita agreed with a nod.

"Daryl, Abraham, Sasha, they have vehicles," Rick said to the large group as Mia held his hand in hers. "They're gonna lead them away just like the others. And Glenn and Nicholas are gonna walk through the front gate after them. They know what they're doing! And we know what we need to do!"

He softened his tone slightly. "We keep noise to a minimum. Pull our blinds at night—even better, keep the lights out. We try to make this place as quiet as a graveyard. See if they move on."

"This place is a graveyard," one of the Alexandrians said.

Rick looked at the woman and nodded softly. Mia pinned her lips together as she dropped her gaze to the floor and gripped Rick's hand tighter. Her thoughts couldn't stop from going back to the night her father died. The blood was what always came first to her. Then his eyes and how they lost the life in them as he died.

"The quarry broke open and those walkers were heading this way," Aaron said. "All of them. The plan that Rick put into place stopped that from happening. He got half of them away!" He paused for a moment. "I was out there recruiting with Daryl. I wanted to try to get into a cannery and scavenge, and Daryl wanted to keep looking for people. We did what I wanted... and we wound up in a trap set by those people. And I lost my pack. They must've followed our tracks. Those people who attacked us... they found their way back here because of me."

Mia looked to Rick, who looked back at her. He turned his gaze to Aaron. "There'll be more to talk about."

"Mom?" Mia asked when she saw her mother start to walk away. "Mom!"

"Deanna?" Tobin asked as well, but the woman responded to neither of them.

"Go," Rick said when Mia looked at him. She kissed him on the cheek and ran after her mother

* * *

"Mom," Mia said as she entered her father's office. She had followed her to their house, but debated for a moment before following her inside.

"Amelia," her mother sighed. "You know that your father was the one who chose that name for you. It ran in his family for a while and he wanted to bring it back."

"I love my name," Mia admitted as she sat down on the other side of the desk. "I think dad knew I would."

"He did," her mom said with a nod. "He knew a lot of things. He was so smart."

"He was," Mia agreed quietly. She found it hard to talk to her mom about her dad, but she forced herself to do it. Especially if it made her mom feel better. She and Spencer were the only family Mia had left and she would do anything for them. "My father was smart, strong, and so kind, and I miss him everyday. But I know he wouldn't want us to dwell on his death. He'd want us to use it to push us forward—to make us want to fight even harder to keep each other alive."

"I know," her mother said as tears began to fill her eyes. "But I loved him too much to let him go."

"You didn't love him too much, mom," Mia told her. "You loved him just enough, and none of are over his death yet. That's why we have to stick together. We have to push through it together."

Deanna reached across the table and took Mia's hand in hers. She smiled at her daughter. "I love you, Mia. I need you to know that and remember it."

"You'll be here to remind me," Mia responded immediately. "You'll be here."

"You don't know that," Deanna murmured.

Mia leaned forward. "I will do everything in my power to make sure you survive all of this. I can't lose you too. I just can't."

"You're stronger than you think, Mia," Deanna said with a small smile. "I've seen your scars. You were strong enough to endure that much pain. You'll be able to endure my death if it comes."

"Stop," Mia begged. "Stop talking like this. You're here, now. That's all that matters."

"I just needed to tell you, my love," Deanna said as she squeezed her daughter's hand.

"I know, mom," Mia said. "I know."

* * *

Mia had been walking for a bit when Dean found her. He had been with the group earlier, but he hadn't bothered to say anything.

"Hey," Dean sighed. "How's your mom?"

"She's… she's hanging in there," Mia decided with a glance in his direction.

"That's good," he said. "We never really got the chance to talk about everything."

"Yeah, sorry," Mia sighed.

"So, I saw you with Rick earlier," Dean started. "How long has that been going on?"

Mia glanced at him with narrowed eyes for a moment before turning forward again. "It just started practically."

"How long have you been here, again?" Dean asked.

"Not long at all. Why?" Mia asked as she looked at him.

"I was just trying to figure out how long you were out there before you found this place," Dean said. Mia knew he wouldn't hide the truth from her. They were too close for that.

"I was out there for a long time after you left me," Mia said as she faced him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I found another group but they were murdered by a different group. I was the only to survive in the end. That's how I got all of these," Mia said as she showed him the scars on her arms and shoulders. "There's more that I could show you, but I have a boyfriend."

"I'm so sorry, Mia," Dean said as his gaze lingered on her arms.

"Yeah, me too," Mia responded. "But you leaving me and everything that happened afterwards are in the past. I want to leave it there."

"I do too," Dean admitted.

"Besides, I missed you too much to hate you for leaving me in the first place," Mia said with a shrug.

"Have you told Rick about Sam and I?"

"I've told him," Mia said. "He kind of hates you for choosing to leave me, but other than that, he's accepted it."

"He blames me," Dean registered.

"Kind of," Mia said. "But it's okay. I explained the whole Sam thing and he got it… I think."

"I think I'll have to accept that," Dean sighed.

"I think you will," Mia smirked slyly as they continued walking side by side.

"I missed you too by the way," Dean added and looked at Mia.

"I know," Mia said, looking at Dean. "But do you regret leaving?"

"I do," Dean nodded. "I regretted it everyday since. It just took me a while to get here."

"I get it," Mia said as she turned forward. "It took me a while longer than I expected too."

They walked in silence until Dean grabbed her arm, making her face him.

"I'm sorry that I left you," Dean said. "But the truth is that it was because I knew that if we stayed together, I would end up falling even deeper in love with you and I couldn't do that to Sam. It took me a while to realize that Sam was gone and he would've wanted us both to be happy." He paused to shake his head when he saw the look on Mia's face. It was pure shock. "I just wanted you to know that I do love you. I am in love with you, Mia, and I am going to do whatever it takes to win you back. I'm sorry if that makes you hate me, but I can't let go of you again. I won't let go of you ever again."

"I'm with Rick," Mia stuttered. "I love him, Dean, not you. I mean, I do love you, but I'm not in love with you. I'm in love with him."

"I know," Dean told her. "But I'm going to do everything in my power to win you over."

"Good luck with that," Mia scoffed before walking away.

* * *

She went straight to Rick's house and found him in his bedroom. He was changing into a different shirt, making Mia stop in the doorway. She struggled to find the words to warn him that she was there.

"Mia," Rick greeted casually as he turned to her and began buttoning up his shirt. Mia pressed her lips together as her gaze lingered on his bare chest. She shook her head lightly and forced herself to focus.

"Rick," Mia said and entered his room. She took a seat on his bed and patted the spot in front of her. Rick sat down facing her. "There's something I need to tell you, and I need you to promise you won't do anything without talking it through with me first."

"I promise," Rick said with some curiosity, but without hesitation.

"Dean… he's in love with me, and he wants win me over—like be with me and stuff," Mia stuttered. "He just told me that, but I kind of already knew that he had been in love with me when I was with him and his brother."

"While you were with his brother?" Rick asked.

"Yes," Mia said. "I know he was ashamed of it, but I didn't think he still loved me like that after what happened to Sam."

"So, he wants to be with you?" Rick asked.

"Yes," Mia said.

"Do you want to be with him?" Rick asked.

"No," Mia said without hesitation. "I'm with you, and I want to be with you. I want to be with you so much that it hurts to be apart from you."

Rick smiled lightly. "It hurts me too."

"You don't have to worry about Dean, so please don't try to hurt him or anything," Mia said with a breathless laugh.

"I won't try to hurt him, but I sure as hell won't wish him any luck," Rick sighed.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Mia said with a smirk.

Rick leaned forward and kissed her. She slid her arms around his neck and he placed his hands around her waist, guiding her down onto the pillows behind her. Rick ran a hand through her brown hair, fingers skimming down the back of her shirt. But it was only when he looked her in the eyes that he knew he should say it.

"I really do love you, Amelia Monroe."

Mia grazed his lips with her fingers. "I know. I love you too, Rick Grimes."

They continued to kiss until Rick pulled back and lied next to Mia, smoothing back her hair. She curled her arms around him and tucked her head under his chin. He kissed the top of her head and placed his arms around her back, holding her as close as he could.

He knew he would never let her go again.


	10. Chapter 7

Set during 6x05 "Now" and 6x07 "Heads Up"

 _You made me feel again_

 _Made me dance circles 'round the pieces of your heart._

 _You made me feel again_

 _After the last time, didn't think I could love_

 _Living by the sea, no one could set me free_

 _Before you came to me_

 _I was in a pretty dark place, praying for the end_

" _Blue Blood" – Laurel_

Chapter 7 – You Made Me Feel Again

"I heard what you said to mom," Amelia told her brother as she walked into his room. He looked up at her and nodded. She walked closer to him and folded her arms over her chest. "That was really fucked up, Spence."

"I know," he murmured.

"Then why did you say it?"

"Because I was drunk," Spencer slurred. "I _am_ drunk."

"There's more to it than that," Mia claimed. "You weren't just drunk, Spencer. You were angry, angry enough to put the blame of Aiden's and dad's death on her."

"A part of me does blame her," Spencer admitted quietly. "A part of me blames her for everything that's happened since Rick's group got here."

Mia inhaled slowly as she watched her older brother for a moment in silence. She pressed her lips into a thin line and walked over to his bed, sitting down beside him. She wrapped an arm around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "If anything we should blame ourselves."

"I know," he responded quietly.

"But you don't want to," Mia sighed.

"Nope," Spencer whispered.

"No one was responsible for Aiden's death other than Aiden and Nicholas, and no one was responsible for dad's death other than Pete," Mia told him.

"I know," he said. "I just got so angry with her."

"I know," Mia said. She placed her other arm around him. "I know."

"I miss them so much and there's nothing that fills that void," Spencer admitted.

Mia nodded solemnly. "You have to remember them for the things they accomplished, the things that they left behind for us to remember them by. Dad built the walls so we could be protected and Aiden went on supply runs to keep this place going."

"It hurts to remember them," Spencer murmured. "But I know it's good that I do."

"It is, Spence. Even though it may hurt, it's good," Mia assured him. He placed a hand over her arm and leaned his head against hers.

"I love you, Mia," Spencer whispered.

"I love you too, Spence," Mia responded without hesitation.

* * *

Mia knocked before entering Rick's house. He had told her to come over whenever she needed and she was happy to take him up on that offer. She walked into the kitchen, surveying her surroundings. She smiled when Carl walked into the room holding Judith in his arms.

"Hello, beautiful," Amelia greeted the infant as Carl walked closer. She bent over to play with Judith once he got close enough.

"I prefer handsome," Carl jokes, causing Mia to smile lightly at the boy.

"I'll remember that," Mia winked. She stood up straight and glanced around the room. "Is your dad here?"

It was already dark out so Mia thought Rick wouldn't have any other place to be other than doing rounds.

"He went to talk to your mom," Carl told her. "He said you should wait for him if you came by."

"Did he say what he wanted to talk to her about?" Mia questioned.

"He said something about the defenses of this place," Carl answered.

"Oh," Mia murmured. "I'll just wait down here then."

"Feel free to raid the fridge," Carl said as he drifted into the kitchen with Judith on his hip.

"You should probably get some sleep," Mia told him. "I can take Judith until she falls asleep."

"Are you sure?" Carl asked.

"Of course. Besides, I skipped my rotation today anyways," Mia explained.

"If you're sure," he said as he shifted Judith in his arms.

"I got it, Carl," she said. "I'll put her to bed when she falls asleep. You just go get some sleep yourself."

"Okay," Carl said as he handed Judith over to Amelia. "Thanks."

"No need," Mia said, smiling. "It kind of relaxes me."

Carl watched them for a moment before nodding. "I approve of it, you know."

"Of what?" Mia looked up at him.

"Of you… and my dad, being together and stuff," Carl clarified.

Mia smiled. "Thank you, Carl. That means a lot coming from you."

"Goodnight, Mia," he said after a few seconds of silence.

"Goodnight, Carl," she responded.

She had to wait with Judith less than an hour for Rick to show up.

"Hey," he said when he saw her waiting for him in the living room. He smiled at Judith. "What are you two doing here?"

"Just waiting patiently for you," Mia smirked as he took Judith from her arms and placed a short kiss against her lips.

"I had to talk to your mom about our defense plan, but our conversation turned out a bit different than I had planned," Rick explained.

"What do you mean?" Mia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your mom fought off a walker," Rick told her.

"What?!" Mia exclaimed. "How was there even one inside the gates?"

"It was a member of the group that attacked here earlier," Rick told her. "Carol had killed one, but never found a body. It was hiding under a house and came out when your mom was walking by. She stabbed it with a broken bottle."

"Wow," Mia breathed. I ran a hand over her hair. "I could never picture my mom or dad fighting a walker."

"She did a pretty good job," Rick said. "We just have to remind her that head shots are what counts."

"Where'd she stab it?"

"The chest quite a few times," Rick answered.

"Hm," Mia sighed. "Well, at least she's okay."

"Did you come by for something?" Rick asked.

"No," Amelia said. "I just wanted to see you."

"Is everything all right?"

Mia held his gaze for a long moment, biting her lip softly. "No. Nothing is all right. Aiden and my dad are dead and there are a couple hundred walkers right outside the gate. It's as if the hits will never stop coming, and I need it to stop because I don't know how much more I can take, Rick, and that terrifies me."

Rick's expression softened when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes. He lifted a hand and caressed her cheek. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about Spencer and my mom. I can't lose them. They're the only family I have left. I went through so much and traveled so far to find them. I can't lose them now, Rick."

"People die all the time, Mia. Sometimes there is nothing we can do to stop it," Rick told her.

"That's what terrifies me, Rick. What good is all this experience and—and skill if I can't use it to save the people I love?" Mia asked. She wiped her eyes and exhaled slowly. "I mourned my brother and I mourned my father. I survived that because I had to, because I had no other choice, but if I lose my mother or brother or you… I don't know if I can survive that."

"You can," Rick said. "You're strong."

"I used to think that too, but eventually I realized that I was just pretending to be strong," Mia said. "I've killed walkers. I've killed people that I loved and I've killed people that I hated. I'm tired of killing. I'm tired of fighting. It's all I've done since this began."

"If you don't fight, you die," Rick responded.

"I didn't say I was done fighting. I'm just tired of it," Mia sighed.

Rick sighed quietly and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah. Me too."

* * *

Mia awoke in a sweat to find her hands clenched tightly in the blanket. She sat up and attempted to steady her breathing, but it seemed like too much to take in as she tried to bring herself back into reality

"It was only a dream," Mia whispered. The dream, or nightmare rather, had been so vivid, but she was grateful she was waking up to this reality and not one where she was running for her life. She leaned her back against the cool wall behind the bed.

"Are you okay?" Rick asked as he turned over to face her. He sat up beside her.

Mia looked at him and nodded. "Yeah. It was just a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rick questioned.

"A while back, after Dean and Sam, I was with another group. We survived together for a while before we were captured by a bigger group. They took us back to their farm and strung us up like cattle. They starved us and bled us out to keep us weak. They took the boys and made them fight off over a dozen walkers in this corral with nothing more than a blunt knife. They all died pretty quickly, but the girls—they took us out into the woods and released us. They used hounds to hunt us like animals and the woods were filled with walkers. It was one of the scariest moments of my life," Mia admitted quietly. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face. She could see the concern in Rick's expression, but she needed to finish. "We had to keep running and we had to be smart or they would catch us. We killed quite a few of them, but Eloise, one of my friends, got shot. She was dying and told us to leave her behind. I didn't want to, but if we had stayed we would have died too. Shay, Tierney, and I manage to lead them awry and we got out, but Shay got bit. We went for as long as possible before we had to stop. I killed Shay out of pity so she wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Tierney never recovered from losing Shay, though. You see, Tierney had been in love with Shay since the moment they met. Losing Shay was too much for her. She stopped fighting. She gave up her will to live and died a week later. Or rather, I killed her because she asked me to. That's what my dream was about; the running part at least."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Mia," Rick told her. He ran a hand over her arm slowly. "Is that how you got the scars?"

"Yeah." Mia nodded. "They would cut us up over and over again to keep us bleeding. It hurt like hell and the healing process took forever."

"What kind of sick mind does that?" Rick asked.

"The kind that thrives in this world," Mia answered solemnly. She sighed quietly and pursed her lips. She could feel Rick's hand on her thigh and took comfort in his company. "At the beginning of the outbreak I actually thought I could get through it without getting blood on my hands. Boy, was I wrong."

"We've all got blood on our hands," Rick told her as he squeezed her leg lightly. Mia looked at him and smiled sadly.

"Some more than others," she murmured. She put her hand over Rick's and squeezed lightly before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'm going to go check on my mom."

"I have to talk to Maggie then give Ron a shooting lesson," Rick said.

"Jessie's son?"

"He asked me to teach him and I said yes," Rick explained. "These people have to learn how to protect themselves."

"I agree," Mia said. "The sooner they learn the better."

"Have you tried to teach your mom or brother?"

"They know the basics, but other than that I'm not sure they want to know," Mia said.

"What do you mean?" Rick asked.

"They're scared," Mia answered. "They know what they have to do, but that might not be enough."

"They'll figure it out," Rick told her.

"I hope so," Mia sighed. She took a deep breath before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "I should go."

"Hey," Rick said, causing Mia to glance over her shoulder at him. "I'm going to talk to Morgan later and I want you to be there."

"Okay," Mia said, nodding. "Just find me when you're ready."

"Will do," Rick responded. She leaned back and placed a short kiss against his lips.

* * *

"What's going on?" Morgan asked.

"When I was coming back," Rick paused to clear his throat, "I tried to cut off the herd with the R.V., lead the walkers away, but five of those people with the W's in their forehead… they stopped me. They tried to kill me, shot up the R.V., and Carol said she saw you—that you wouldn't kill those people."

"Did you let any of them go?" Carol asked calmly.

"Yes, I did," Morgan answered. Rick and Mia exchanged a look before he continued. "I didn't want to kill five people I didn't have to kill."

"They burned people alive," Carol reminded him.

"Yeah," Morgan sighed. He sat up slightly as he looked at Rick. "Why didn't you kill me, Rick? Back in King County? I pulled a knife on you. I stabbed you. So, why didn't you kill me? Is it because I saved you after the hospital?"

"Cause I knew who you were," Rick answered.

"Back there I would have killed you as soon as look at you, and I tried. But you, you let me live and then I was there to help Aaron and Daryl. See, if I—if I wasn't there… if they died… maybe those wolves wouldn't have been able to come back here," Morgan explained. "I don't know what's right anymore. 'Cause I did want to kill those men. I seen what they did, what they would have keep doing." He sighed. "I knew I could end it, but I also know that people can change. 'Cause everyone sitting here has. All life is precious. And that idea—that idea changed me. It brought me back and keeps me living."

"I just don't think it can be that easy," Michonne retorted.

"It's not easy," Morgan told her.

"I wasn't saying—" Michonne began.

"I—I know," Morgan said. "And I've thought about letting that idea go, but I don't want to."

"You may have to," Mia sighed.

"Things aren't as simple as four words," Michonne said. "I don't think they ever were."

"Do you think I don't belong here?" Morgan asked, looking at Rick.

"Making it now, you really think you can do that without getting blood on your hands?" Rick asked.

"I don't know," Morgan answered.

Mia bit her lip as she looked at Rick. He met her gaze and nodded weakly before taking her hand. She didn't know what trials they would have to face in the days to come, but she did know that Rick would be by her side through it all. For that, she was grateful.

* * *

"If we can somehow get outside the walls, get back to the cars at the quarry, we could use them to lead them away," Rick explained to Michonne and Amelia.

"We'll set up more watch points. Coordinate the shooting of guns and flares so we can pull them out in even directions," Michonne said.

"We'd need to get all our people on it," Rick said. "Carl, Tara, Rosita, Carol."

"What about the others?" Mia asked.

"Well, let's just keep this to our own for now," Rick responded.

"They are my own," Mia told him.

"If we had time, we would bring the people along, sure," Rick said. "But we haven't had a chance to catch our breath."

"We're in here together. We're catching our breath right now," Michonne said. "Anything else is just excuses."

Mia pressed her lips together and sighed quietly. She loved Rick with all her heart, but she hoped he could learn to accept the other Alexandrians into his family before it was too late.

"Deanna," Rick greeted as Mia's mother stepped up onto the porch.

"Rick. Mia. Michonne," Deanna said.

"What is that?" Mia asked as she gestured to her mother.

"Plans for the expansion," Deanna answered.

"We got a few other things on our plate right now," Rick told her.

"I know," Deanna said. "These are what for what Alexandria can be after this, because one way or another, there's going to be an after this."

Mia offered a smile in her mother's direction before taking the papers from her mother's hand. Deanna gave her daughter, Rick, and Michonne one last smile before leaving them behind on the porch.

"She's right, you know," Mia said, looking up at Rick. "There's going to be an after and we have to prepare for it. These plans will help with that."

Rick stared down at her for a moment before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I want to plan for a future with you, I do, but we need to worry about the walkers outside the gates first," Rick told her. "Let's deal with them first and then we can look at those plans. I promise, okay?"

"Okay," Mia sighed, nodding slowly. "I trust you."

* * *

Amelia rubbed at the kink in her neck as she stepped out of her house. She had been looking for her mother or brother, but came to find the house empty. Mia fidgeted with the leather bracelet on her wrist and shut the door behind her. She had managed to clean Aiden's blood off the bracelet, but she couldn't help but think back to the day he died every time she looked at it. It had remained on her wrist since he gave it to her moments before he died and she never wanted to take it off.

"Hey," Dean said as Mia walked down the steps to meet him on the sidewalk.

"Hi," Mia responded with a sigh. She had been trying to avoid him since he made his declaration, but she knew it wouldn't last forever. Alexandria wasn't that big.

"How are you holding up… with everything that's going on?" Dean asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I'm fine," Mia answered shortly. "Just a little tired."

"The nightmares?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "What about you?"

"I'm just trying to do whatever I can to help," Dean told her. "Let me know if there's anything else I can do."

"Will do," Mia responded with a weak smile. She started off in the opposite direction, but looked back to wave goodbye to Dean. While she didn't want to lead him on, she still missed him.

Mia started down the street towards the wall that she knew Rick was working on, but stopped short when she saw her brother hanging from a rope between the wall and a building just outside Alexandria. She didn't have to be told anything to know his objective. Instead, she broke into a run towards the watch tower Spencer was hanging from, only slowing when she saw Rick headed in the same direction.

"What is he doing?" Rick asked as they met at the tower.

"Being an idiot," Mia huffed angrily before hopping up the ladder. When she reached the top, she peered down to see all the dead ones gathered right below her brother.

"Spencer!" Rick shouted. "Hey, Spencer, get back here!"

"Spencer! Don't be stupid! Get back here!" Mia yelled to her brother despite knowing he would be too stubborn to listen to her or Rick.

"Spencer! Spencer, move!" Tara shouted from the next watch tower.

Mia clenched her jaw as she watched her brother continue to slide across the rope towards the building outside the walls. She gasped when the grappling hook slipped slightly from the roof of the other building, causing Spencer's legs to lose their grip on the rope. His legs fell from it as he tried to keep a hold on the rope with his hands.

"Go! Keep moving!" Rick shouted, snapping Mia out of her worry trance. "Hurry!"

"Spence! Hold on!" Mia shouted before turning to Rick. "He's not going to make it."

"He'll make it," Rick assured her as he placed a hand against her cheek. "He'll be okay."

They turned back to Spencer when they heard the hook snap loose from the roof. Spencer swung down and smacked into the wall, falling to the floor a second later.

"Spencer! Move, damn it!" Mia called down as she grabbed the gun from her waist and started shooting the walkers that were nearing her brother.

"Spencer, come on!" Rick shouted as he grabbed the rope on their end.

Spencer struggled to get to his feet as the walkers closed in on him. Mia was grateful for Tara, who was also trying to take down the walkers from her post. Mia's brother shoved several dead ones away from him before grabbing the rope hanging down from the wall. He started to climb the rope as Rick began to pull him up. Tara and Mia continued to shoot at the walkers as Spencer continued to climb the rope. Mia sighed heavily when she ran out of bullets and quickly tucked her gun into her belt before moving to help Rick pull her brother up. Soon enough, both Tobin and Morgan were there to lend a hand. They helped pull Spencer up over the wall and onto the watch tower. Mia kneeled beside her brother, checking him for bite marks or scratches, any sign that he was hurt by the walkers. When she was sure he was fine, she slapped him over the head and punched him lightly on the chest.

"What the hell was that? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Mia yelled angrily at him.

"Tara! You almost died once for these people!" Rick shouted at the girl on the next watch tower. Mia looked up at Rick with disappointment crossing her expression.

"What?!" Tara shouted back.

"What the hell were you doing?!" Rick asked, frustrated. Tara didn't bother responding. Instead, she gave him the middle finger and turned away. Mia sighed heavily as she looked back at her brother.

"Lost a damn shoe," Spencer huffed. "Crap."

"What was that?" Rick asked as he gestured towards the other building.

"I was trying to help. I wanted to get to a car, draw them away," Spencer answered.

"You ever make a climb like that before?" Rick asked, leaning down towards Spencer. When the younger man didn't answer, Rick continued. "You want to help? Don't make us come running to save you. You got an idea, you come to me."

"Would you have listened to me?" Spencer asked. Mia looked up at Rick for the answer, but he just sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Let's get you home," Mia told her brother and helped him stand up. She gave Rick one last disappointed glance before climbing down the ladder after her brother.

* * *

 _I'm so tired of it all_ , Amelia thought to herself as she lied back on her bed _._

"Are you okay?"

Mia looked to her door where Rick was standing, his arms crossed over his chest.

She bit her lip softly and returned her gaze to the ceiling. A sigh escaped her mouth as she scooted over on the bed and patted the space next to her. Rick didn't hesitate to lie down next to her.

"I'm just tired, Rick," Mia told him quietly.

"Yeah, I get that," Rick responded as he took her hand.

"No," Mia retorted. "I don't think you do."

"What do you mean?" Rick asked her.

Mia sighed before turning her head to look at him. "I'm tired of trying to convince you that _these_ _people_ are _your_ people now."

"It takes time to get to that point and I don't think we're there yet," Rick explained quietly. Mia swallowed hard and took a deep breath. She turned her body to face Rick and propped her head up on her elbow.

"I'm one of them, Rick. I'm an Alexandrian. That's who I am now, and accepting me means that you have to accept them too. I can't always be worrying that if we're out there or if trouble follows us back home that you will only protect _your_ family and not mine," Mia said, releasing Rick's hand. "My family needs to be your family. I need you to accept them. If you can't bring yourself to do that then I don't know how I can be with you."

"You'd break up with me over _them_?" Rick asked, baffled.

"I'd break up with you because of my _family_ , Rick," Mia told him. "If you can't understand how much they mean to me, then maybe you don't really understand me."

"I understand that, Amelia, but you can't expect me to accept strangers into my family," Rick said.

"No," Mia sighed. "I guess I can't."

"I love you, and I would do anything for you so I will try to learn to accept them, but it won't happen overnight," Rick said as he lifted a hand to push some hair out of Mia's face.

"All I wanted to hear is that you'd try," Mia responded.

"I gotta go help build up a brace on the wall, but I'll be back later," Rick said and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," Mia whispered as Rick rose from the bed and left her room.

* * *

"They're good plans," Michonne told her as they sat on the porch. Mia had brought the large paper by Rick's house to let Michonne get a look at the layout plans.

"Yeah," Mia said. "They're hopeful, which is something I think we need."

"Do you know what this means?" Michonne asked as she gestured to the paper. Mia looked down and saw the Latin quote.

"It's something that my father used to say when things weren't looking up," Mia explained. She dropped her head into her hands. "I miss him and Aiden all the time. This place is a constant reminder of them, of the small amount of time that were able to spend together here."

"The memories you had together will always be with you," Michonne told her. "Cherish them."

"I will. I _do_ ," Mia said quietly. "But sometimes that only makes it harder."

"Of course it does, but that doesn't mean that you block those memories," Michonne said. "Use them to push you forward. Honor their memory."

Mia glanced sideways at Michonne and smiled softly. "Thank you for this."

"You're one of us now," Michonne said. "That makes you family."

"I just wish Rick saw it that way," Mia said. "Not with me, but with everyone else."

"He'll get there. He just needs time," Michonne said.

"I hope you're right," Mia sighed. She let the silence grow between them for a couple minutes. "I'm going to find Rick. He makes me go crazy sometimes, but I love him."

"Then go to him," Michonne said.

"I'll see you later," Mia said as she placed a hand on Michonne's shoulder. She rose from her seat and started down the street towards the wall.

Amelia found herself slowing as she approached the edge of the community. She couldn't help but smile when she saw the green balloons floating upwards through the sky. She knew that it was a signal, a signal that someone was alive. It was either coming from Glenn and Nicholas or Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham. Either way, it gave her hope.

Then she heard the crack coming from the tower outside the walls. Mia's jaw dropped when the tower fell down onto the wall that Rick had been working on. She couldn't think of herself in that moment. Instead, her thoughts went to Rick and her family. Were they alright? Were they safe?

She needed to find them.


	11. Chapter 8

Set during 6x08 "Start to Finish."

 _And the walls kept tumbling down_

 _In the city that we love_

 _Great clouds roll over the hills_

 _Bringing darkness from above_

 _But if you close your eyes,_

 _Does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all?_

 _And if you close your eyes,_

 _Does it almost feel like you've been here before?_

 _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_

" _Pompeii" – Bastille_

Chapter 8 – How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

"Everyone, get back! Get into your houses! Go!"

Amelia's head perked up when she heard Rick's voice. She glanced around, trying to see through the smoke that was beginning to clear. That's when her eyes landed on him. He had his back turned to her, but from what she could see, he hadn't been hurt, and for that she grateful. Mia sped up when she saw her mother join Rick. There were no visible wounds on her either.

Mia picked the gun out from her belt and ran towards Rick and her mother. She was thankful that she had remembered to get more ammunition from the armory.

"Rick!" Deanna shouted as Mia neared them.

"You need to get back!" Rick responded.

" _We_ need to get back!" Deanna retorted.

Mia sighed when she saw her mother use three bullets on a single walker and missed the head each time. She came up behind Rick as he helped Deanna up from the ground. The older woman had tripped as she shot a walker, taking another one down with her. Amelia's concern peaked when she saw that her mother was bleeding from her leg and side.

"Rick!" Mia shouted as she joined them.

Rick looked at her while placing a hand around Deanna for support. Mia shot two nearby walkers and fell into step on her mother's other side, her head pivoting around as she searched for any walkers that were getting too close for comfort.

"Mia!" Deanna called out as she pointed to a walker. Mia took it down with one bullet and continued running.

"Rick!" Michonne yelled when she caught up with them. Carl, Father Gabriel, and Ron were also with her.

"There!" Deanna gestured to a nearby walker and Father Gabriel took it down. She repeated the same action, but this time Carl was the one to get rid of the walker.

They came to a screeching halt when a line of walkers filed in front of them. A couple seconds later three gunshots rang out, taking down a couple walkers right in front of them. Mia looked up to see Jessie with a gun in her hands. The woman fired off a few more shots, giving the group enough room to get through.

"Come on! I have Judith!" Jessie shouted and the rest of them didn't hesitate to follow her into her house.

* * *

Mia bit her lip nervously as she finished putting a tourniquet on her mother's leg.

"How is she?" Rick asked as he walked into the room.

"No offense to my daughter, but whatever she's doing hurts like a son of a bitch," Deanna told him.

"She just finished the leg," Michonne said. She was waiting by the door next to Rick. Mia lifted up her mother's shirt to get a look at the laceration on her side, wiping away the blood with a towel.

"And that seems to be the worst of—" Mia stopped short when her eyes landed on a bite mark beneath the cut. It felt as if her heart stopped at the sight of the wound and all hope drained from her body. That was it. Her mother was a dead woman walking.

"Well, shit," Deanna muttered when she caught sight of the bite.

Mia clenched her jaw with frustration as she peered up at Rick and Michonne. Michonne stepped forward and took the towel out of Mia's hand.

"I'll finish up," the older woman told her.

"Thanks," Mia sighed and rose from the bed. She walked past Rick and out of the room without a word.

* * *

"Amelia."

She sighed silently, knowing it was Rick who came to see her, but didn't bother turning around to face him. There was a part of her that knew what he was going to say, and she knew it wouldn't make a difference, his words. That wouldn't stop him from trying. She was grateful, though, for him leaving her alone for a while. It helped to be able to collect her thoughts on her own.

"Mia," Rick said as he came up beside her.

"Save it, Rick," Mia told him. "I'm not naïve. I know what's going to happen and I know there's nothing we can do to stop it."

"I know you know that," Rick said. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Mia turned her head to look at him. She let out a deep breath as she raised a hand to his cheek. She tried to take another deep breath, but it got caught in her throat as a sob built up in it's place. Her eyes began to burn with tears, causing her to pin her lips into a thin line. She dropped her hand from Rick's face and was finally able to take a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"My mother, she's never going to see me or Spencer get married or have kids. I mean, I didn't know if I could still have that, but even if it turns out that I can, she'll never know it," Mia explained quietly. "She'll never see it."

Rick didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her close to him. She leaned against him and placed her head on his shoulder.

"How is she?" Mia asked.

"The fever's setting in," Rick said. "She doesn't have long. She knows all about how it happens, right?"

"Yeah," Mia sighed. "She knows."

"She's cracking jokes," Rick told her.

"She should have run," Amelia murmured.

"She should have, but she didn't," Rick said. "She stayed and fought. She tried to, at least."

"And it killed her," Mia added.

"We have enough food to last us a while," Rick said. "They're bound to cluster up by then, move off to one area. When they do, I'll try to get to the armory… draw then away."

" _We'll_ get to the armory," Mia corrected him.

Rick looked down at her with a weak smile. " _We'll_ get to the armory and get some flares. We can open the gate and fire some off… see if I can get them somewhere… somewhere that's not here."

"We could just get to the quarry and get a car to lead them away," Mia suggested.

"That's a possibility too," Rick said. "We'll have to see what it looks like in here when the time comes."

Mia's face fell as she realized something. "I need to find Spencer."

"What?" Rick asked as he looked down at her.

"Now," Mia said as she stood up straight. "I need to know that he's safe. I need to find him before it's too late. He needs to be able to say goodbye."

"You can't go out there right now," Rick said. "It's mayhem."

"I can't do this without him, Rick," Mia said, shaking her head. "He's my brother. He needs to be here."

"I know, but there is no safe way of getting him here," Rick explained. Mia dropped her head as she felt herself come close to tears again. Rick placed a hand against her cheek and leaned down slightly to kiss the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Mia."

"I know," Mia said, looking up at him. "If Spencer wasn't here, if he wasn't alive, then I don't know what I would do."

"Don't talk like that," Rick told her.

"Why not?" Mia asked. "Because chances are that he isn't going to make it?"

"That's not—" Rick started.

"But it's the truth, and we both know that it is," Mia said. "Like I said before, I'm not naïve."

"I know you're not," Rick said, smiling weakly.

They were cut off by the sound of shouting and crashing coming from downstairs. Rick and Mia shared a look before running out of the room. They almost ran into Jessie as she came down the hall.

"Did you hear that?" Jessie asked as the trio hopped down the stairs. There was another crash off in the distance.

"It sounded like—" Mia started.

"Carl," Rick finished.

"And Ron," Jessie added as they reached the door that led to the garage.

"Carl!" Rick shouted before trying to open the door.

"Ron!" Jessie yelled. Mia pursed her lips when she saw that the door wasn't opening.

"Carl!" Rick tried again. "Let me in, Carl!"

"Ron!"

"Carl, open the door!"

"Ron, open the door right now!"

"Get back!" Rick told Jessie and Mia as he retrieved his axe from his belt. He began hitting the lock and doorknob with the axe, slowly breaking them off. Mia got more concerned when she heard snarling coming from the other side of the door.

"Help!" Carl shouted from the garage. "Please, Ron! Come on!"

Mia shared a concerned look with Jessie right before Rick broke the locks.

"Come on!" Rick shouted and Carl and Ron came running out of the garage. They shut the door once Carl and Ron were safely through. Mia helped the others hold the door shut.

"Here! Move!" Rick told them as he and Father Gabriel dragged a couch towards the door.

"Watch out!" Jessie shouted as Mia and the others started to move out of the way.

"Move!" Rick told them again.

Once the couch was in place and Mia was helping hold it against the door, Rick looked to her. "We need more and we need to be quiet."

"I'll see what I can find," Michonne said.

"Me too," Father Gabriel said before going to help Michonne.

"I'll help," Mia said and disappeared into the other room, hoping to give Rick and Jessie time to talk to Carl and Ron about what happened. She had an idea about it, but she couldn't know for sure.

Amelia helped gather a few more pieces of furniture to brace the couch and went to see her mother. She went up the stairs and took a deep breath before walking into the room where her mother had been resting. Mia stopped short when she saw that the bed was empty.

She went back out into the hallway and searched for any sign of her mother. That's when she saw the open door at the end of the hall. It was Judith's room. Mia didn't hesitate to break into a jog, pulling the gun out from her belt as she reached the door. She raised the weapon and opened the door slowly, swallowing hard when she saw her mother slumped over the side of Judith's crib.

Mia cocked the gun quietly and stepped closer to her mother. "Mom."

The young woman let out a sigh of relief when Deanna turned around and looked up at her. She looked sick, but she was alive.

"I'm still me," she exclaimed when she saw the gun pointed at her. Mia apologized as she lowered the weapon and tucked it back into her belt.

"I thought… I couldn't risk it," Mia told her mother.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Deanna said. "I just wanted to see her one last time. I thought I could make it. My legs had other plans."

"Come here," Mia said as she dropped down beside her mother and put a hand under her arms. She helped act as a crutch in order to get Deanna to the bed. Once her mother was lying on the bed, she went to the door and shouted down to Rick. He joined her a minute later.

"What happened?" He asked as he entered the room.

"She wanted to see Judith," Mia told him. She continued when she saw the look on his face. "Don't worry. She's fine."

"From now on, somebody needs to be with you," Rick said to Deanna.

"Yeah," Deanna sighed.

"It can't be her," Rick added as he gestured to Judith.

"Yep," Deanna said.

"I'll find somewhere else to put her," Rick said and started towards the crib.

"Rick, Mia," Deanna said, glancing between him and her daughter. She took two folded pieces of paper out of her pocket and held them out. "I, uh—I wrote something for Spencer and Maggie."

"We'll make sure they get them," Rick said as he took the papers from her hand.

"I know Mia will look after her brother, but will you?" Deanna asked Rick.

"I will," Rick said.

"Will you look out for him like you look out for your people?" Deanna asked. Mia kept her eyes on her mother, knowing that Rick wouldn't be able to answer that question. "Guess what? They're all your people, Rick. They are."

"We haven't had a chance to make it that," Rick responded.

"But that's how it is," Deanna said. "I didn't run over to help you out there because I like you… or because I think you're a good man, a good father… or that you can grow one hell of a beard. I ran over to help because you are one of us. _That's_ the right answer."

"Rick!" Jessie shouted from down the stairs. Mia looked at Rick and nodded softly.

"Go," Mia said. "I'll keep an eye on my mom and Judith."

"Thanks," Rick said before placing a kiss on the side of her head and running out of the room.

Amelia pinned her lips together and sat down beside her mom. "You didn't write me anything."

"That's because you're here. I can say it to you right now," Deanna explained.

"Okay," Mia said. "Say it."

"I love you, Mia. You, your brothers, and father gave me so much joy and purpose in life. Because of the four of you, I can say that I loved deeply and was loved," Deanna told her. "I love you so much and I need to know that once I'm gone, you will not stop fighting. Promise me that you will never lose hope, even if you're alone in this world and have no where else to turn. Promise me you'll fight until the end."

Mia let out a slow breath and nodded. "I promise."

"I need you to know that I'll be okay. I'll be with Reg and Aiden. We'll be together again and we'll be watching over you. We'll always be with you. In here," Deanna said as she placed a hand over Mia's heart.

"You don't get to do that," Mia responded quietly.

"What?"

"Pretend like everything will work out and that it's normal for someone to lose their mom at twenty-three," Mia explained.

"It's not normal, but that's how it is, Mia," Deanna said.

"But it didn't have to be," Mia retorted. "You could still be alive and well if you would have just done what I told you to do… run. If you would have done that then you'd be fine and I wouldn't have to talk to you on your death bed."

"Mia…"

"No," she snapped. "You don't get to pretend. You don't get to."

"Mia, I know this is hard, but there's nothing we can do to change it," Deanna said. "I'm fading fast and I just wanted our last minutes together to be happy ones."

"Well, you don't always get what you want, mom," Mia said. "And if you tell me _anymore_ crap about heading into the light or looking down on me from heaven above, I will kill you myself, right now!"

"Mia, just—I'm going to be alright. I'm not scared anymore. I'll be alright," Deanna said. Mia laughed to herself as her mother continued. "You don't have to worry."

"What about me and Spencer?" Mia clenched her jaw and raised her gaze to the ceiling as she tried to hold back the tears in her eyes and the sob rising in her throat. She took a deep breath and let it out. The first tear broke free and ran down her cheek. Deanna's eyes narrowed with concern as Mia looked back at her. "What about _me_ when you head into the light?"

"Mia…"

"No! I get it! You'll be with dad and Aiden so you'll be okay! You'll be fine! But what about me?! You don't get to pretend that this is how it was supposed to be! You were _supposed_ to be my mom! You were supposed to be here when I got married or had kids! You were supposed to _run_!"

"Come here," Deanna said as she gestured to herself. Mia wiped her eyes before lying down next to her mom. She could feel Deanna press a kiss to the top of her head and hear her sigh. "I'm sorry, Mia. You shouldn't have to be dealing with any of this."

"It's the world we live in now," Mia said, sniffling quietly. "Parents die before their children and their children have to learn to be okay."

"Will you be okay?" Deanna asked.

"Not at first," Mia answered. "But I will be eventually."

"And Spencer?"

"I'll make sure he's okay too," Mia told her.

"Give Rick some time," Deanna said. "He'll come around to thinking of this place and these people as his. And if you two eventually do get to the point where you're thinking of getting married, be sure to wear something white. I know it doesn't matter much nowadays, but do it for me."

"Mom, what are you doing?" Mia asked.

"I won't be here to tell you any of this later on so I'm doing it now," Deanna answered. Mia inhaled and nodded softly. "Never let anyone compromise your self-worth or talk down to you. You are a strong, intelligent, kind, selfless woman. Don't let anyone tell you differently. And this next one is big, alright?"

"Alright," Mia said.

"When you finally have a child of your own, you're going to be terrified. You are going to think that every decision you make is the wrong one and you'll get tired and feel like giving up, but let me tell you something. It doesn't matter if you breastfeed or use formula or whether or not you teach your kid how to use a crossbow or how to speak French or Latin. All that matters is that your child is happy and healthy."

"And what if it's not?" Mia asked as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"You do _your_ best. You raise it how you want it to be raised, and with time, things will get easier," Deanna answered.

"Mia."

She looked over her shoulder and saw Rick standing in the doorway with Michonne. She could tell by the look on their faces that something was wrong.

"What is it?" Mia asked. "What's wrong?"

Rick sighed as he shared a look with Michonne. Mia held her breath while Michonne went to the crib and picked Judith out. Rick stepped closer to the bed and pushed some hair out of Mia's face. "The walkers got into the house. We have to go."

"No," Mia whimpered as she turned back to her mom and buried her head in the crook of her neck. "No. I need more time."

"We don't have any," Rick said. "If we don't go, we'll die."

"I can't leave her," Mia cried and looked up at her mother. "I can't leave you."

"You can," Deanna said. "You _have_ to."

"A couple hours ago you were making jokes and you were smiling. Now, you're—you're practically dead. How ridiculous is that? Isn't that the most ridiculous piece of crap you've ever heard?" Mia asked as a sob escaped her throat. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. The realization of her mother's impending death hit her hard. Mia leaned into her mom's shoulder as she cried out.

"Take her, Rick," Deanna said.

"No," Mia cried. "No. I can't. I can't."

"You can," Deanna said. "And you have to. I love you, Mia. Never let that go."

Mia let out another sob as Rick leaned down and took her arm from around her mom's waist. He wrapped it around the back of his neck and hooked one arm under her legs and the other around her back. He lifted her from the bed with ease and carried her out of the room. Mia clung to him as she cried into his chest, sobbing endlessly.

"She's gone," Mia cried. "My mom's dead, Rick."

Rick hugged her closer. "I'm so, so sorry."

"My dad is dead. My brother is dead. My mom is dead," Mia whimpered.

"Spencer is still alive," Rick told her, hoping that would bring her some comfort.

"We don't know that for sure," Mia whispered.

"He was at home when they got in," Rick reminded her. "He's okay."

"I need to make sure," Mia said.

" _We_ need to make sure," Rick corrected. When Mia looked up at him, he continued. "Your mom was right. I need to look after these people like they're my own, starting with your brother."

"Spencer _has_ to be alive," Mia sighed.

"He will be," Rick assured her.

"He has to be," Mia repeated.

"He will be," Rick said before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "He will be."

"Dolor hic tibi proderit olim," Mia murmured.

"What does that mean?" Rick asked.

"Someday this pain will be useful to you," Mia told him. "My dad used to say it."

"He was a smart man," Rick said.

"He was," Mia said. "And Aiden was thoughtful, and my mother was charismatic. Now, they're just gone."

"Yeah," Rick sighed. "But you're still here."

"I'm always here," Mia said.

* * *

Rick watched Mia as he spread the insides of the walker over the curtains she was wearing. Her expression was distant and unattached, but he knew she was just in mourning. He just wanted to make her feel better. It just wouldn't be possible at the moment, and he knew that.

"I'm going to need you to be right behind me, okay?" Rick asked quietly. "All you need to do is take my hand and keep walking, okay?"

"Okay," Mia murmured.

"We have to go," Michonne whispered from the top of the staircase. Rick stood and took Mia's hand, leading her over to Michonne.

"We're ready," Jessie said as she held onto Sam's shoulders. "Ron?"

"Yeah," Ron answered.

"We'll get Judith," Rick said.

"Rick," Father Gabriel said, catching his attention. "I'm not going to give up out there. I will not turn back, no matter what happens."

"Yeah, I know," Rick responded. He led Mia to one of the bedrooms and opened the door. He let go of her hand for a minute in order to pick up Judith, but grabbed on again once she was in his arms. "You ready?"

"No, but I have to be," Mia said.

"We'll be okay," Rick told her as he kissed her forehead. They went back out into the hallway and Jessie helped put Judith into a carrier under Carl's blanket.

Rick held onto Mia's hand as they walked down the stairs. Michonne moved the couch out of the way and they filed past the walkers out of the house and onto the porch. Rick scanned the surrounding area before looking back at Mia. She wasn't watching the walkers walking past them or checking on the rest of their group. Instead, her gaze was fixed on the ground, her eyes still puffy from crying. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close, but he knew it wasn't the right time. He had seen her strength and courage before so he had no doubt about her ability to carry on despite her grief. And because of that, she never looked more beautiful.


	12. Chapter 9

Set during 6x09 "No Way Out" and the beginning of 6x10 "The Next World."

 _This fire won't go out_

 _Though just a flicker it may be_

 _Shifting through the shadows_

 _To a vision we can't see  
Hold fast to one another_

 _We still stand stranger to brother_

 _We are one_

 _We carry on_

" _We Carry On" – The Phantoms_

Chapter 9 – We Carry On

"All right, new plan," Rick said after pulling the group to the side. He glanced at Mia and squeezed her hand lightly. She met his gaze and forced a weak smile, but quickly returned her eyes to the floor. Rick cleared his throat as he looked away from her before continuing. "Flares from a few guns aren't enough. Too many walkers, too spread out. We're not going to the armory. We need our vehicles back at the quarry. All of us drive. We'll need to round 'em up. We leave, we come back."

"Okay," Jessie said. "But Judith… to the quarry and back, I—"

"I'll take her," Father Gabriel volunteered. "Keep her safe in my church until you all lead the walkers away."

"Can you do this?" Michonne questioned.

"I'm supposed to. I have to," Father Gabriel responded. He looked back at Rick. "I will."

"All right," Carl sighed as he transferred Judith to Father Gabriel.

"Take Sam," Jessie said.

"No," the young boy retorted.

"Yes, Sam, it'll be safe," Jessie told him.

"I'm not leaving you," Sam said.

"Sam—" Jessie sighed.

"Mom, I'm not," Sam said. "I can keep going."

"Sam—"

"I can keep going," Sam told her. "Please. _Please_. Let's just go."

"Okay," Jessie said after a few seconds of silence.

Father Gabriel glanced at Rick, who met his gaze. "I'm going to keep her safe."

"Thank you," Rick said. Mia inhaled slowly as she looked up at him. He was watching Father Gabriel walk away with Judith. She could see the concern and worry written in his expression and squeezed his hand softly to get his attention.

"Hey. He's going to make it," Mia told him. "They'll be okay."

Rick nodded and Mia forced another smile. She turned to Sam, who was standing in front her, and held out her hand. "Sam."

* * *

They had been walking for a while, slowly making their way towards the gate. Rick was leading the group, followed by Mia, Sam, Jessie, Carl, Ron, and Michonne. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of walkers snarling. They were moving slowly so they didn't draw attention, making their journey long, but safe. Mia was just beginning to think that they were in the clear when she felt Sam tug on her arm. She looked over her shoulder at the young boy to see that he had stopped walking completely and was looking rather petrified at something in the distance. He let go of her hand and stepped back a couple feet. Mia shared a worried look with Rick before turning back to Sam.

"Sam. Sam?" Jessie said, trying to get her son's attention. "Come on. Come on."

"Sam, you're okay," Mia tried. "They're not going to hurt you."

"Sweetheart? Sam?" Jessie said

"You can do it," Rick told him. "You can do it."

"Yes, you can," Jessie said. "Sam? Sam, come on."

"Come on, Sam," Mia said as encouragingly as she could.

"Sam, come on," Rick said.

"Sam," Jessie repeated. "Sam?"

"Sam. Hey, you can do this," Ron said. "Sam, just look at mom."

"Honey, you can do it," Jessie said. When that didn't work she tried again. "Sam, you're gonna get— Sam, honey, I need you to come with me."

Mia swallowed hard when Sam began to cry, whimpering softly. She knew the noise might draw the attention of any one of the walkers surrounding them.

"Sam," Ron said.

"I need you to come with me," Jessie said.

"I want to," Sam whimpered.

"I need you to be strong," Jessie told him.

"Sam—" Ron started, but it was too late.

Two walkers descended on Sam. One came up beside him, biting his shoulder while the other came from behind and grabbed his face, biting into his forehead. Mia squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and sighed sadly when Sam let out a long scream.

"Mom!" He screamed loudly. "Mom!"

Mia looked to Jessie, who was still holding onto Sam's hand. She let out an ear-piercing scream as she stared at the feeding frenzy.

"Jessie," Mia said as she stepped closer to the woman. She could hear Carl and Rick trying to get her attention as well. "Jessie, come on. I know it hurts, but we have to move."

"Come with us," Carl told her. "Come on. We have to go."

"Jessie, please," Mia said, trying once more to just distract her from what was happening to her son.

Amelia grimaced when several walkers caught Jessie in their grasps, biting her all at once. She screamed as even more walkers descended upon her.

"Dad!" Carl exclaimed quietly as he tried to pull his hand free from Jessie's. "Dad!"

Mia watched as Rick freed his axe from his belt and used it to chop Jessie's arm off. It took several tries, but eventually it came off, allowing Carl to free his hand. He fell to the floor and Mia hurried to help him up. She froze when she saw Ron pointing a gun in her direction. Carl turned to look at the boy when he cocked the gun. Mia realized quickly that Ron wasn't pointing the gun at her, but rather Rick.

"You," Ron said as he stared at Rick. " _You_."

Suddenly, Michonne's sword appeared through Ron's chest. Mia flinched when a gunshot ran through the air. Ron fell dead to the floor the moment Michonne pulled her sword out and walkers were on him a few seconds later. Mia looked at Rick, smiling softly when she saw that he was okay.

"Dad?" Carl's voice reached Mia's ears, causing her to turn towards the boy. She gasped when she saw that he had been shot through the eye. He fell to the floor, unconscious, and his father hurried to scoop him up in his arms.

Mia pulled the machete from her belt and helped Michonne clear a path for Rick. They moved quickly through the crowd of walkers all the way to the infirmary. Denise opened the door for them and they filed into the house. Rick placed his son down on the gurney and stepped back. Mia wanted to comfort him, but she knew her time would be used better treating Carl.

"It was a gunshot. Handgun. Close range," Mia informed Denise as she took her spot on the other side of the gurney.

"Please save him," Rick said. "Please."

Mia glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded before turning her attention back to Carl. Denise turned on the light as Mia started to clear away the blood from around Carl's eye.

"That's gonna draw them here," Spencer noted about the lights.

"We need it, Spence," Mia told him. She looked up at Denise. "Put pressure on the wound while I go in and sew up any lacerations. Just keep following me with the towel."

"What—what are you doing?" Michonne asked, causing Mia to look up and over at where Rick had been standing. Except he was no longer standing there. He was standing with one foot out the open door.

"Rick!" Mia called out, but he didn't turn around. "Rick!"

She took a deep, steadying breath before turning back to Carl. Mia wanted to go after him, but she _had_ to save Carl first.

"Michonne, go after him," Mia said as she started stitching up Carl's wound. "Help him."

"You don't need help?" Michonne asked as she started towards the door.

"No. I have this," Mia told her. "Just get out there and help him."

"He's taking them all on," Aaron said. "We have to go get him."

"What?" Spencer asked.

"We have to," Heath told him. "This is it."

Michonne kissed Carl's forehead before running to the front door and swinging it open. Aaron and Heath walked out of the house behind her. Mia looked up to see Spencer start towards the door.

"Spencer!" Mia shouted as quietly as she could.

"This is my chance, Mia," he said.

Mia gritted her teeth as she glanced down at Carl and back up at her brother. "Fine. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," Spencer said before running out of the house.

"Go," Denise told her. When Mia looked at her she nodded. "I got this. Go help them."

"I need to finish. Just one more suture," Mia said and turned her attention back to Carl's wound. She quickly laid one last stitch and cut the string. She looked up at Denise. "Can you dress the wound?"

"Yes. Now, go," Denise said.

Mia grabbed her machete off the table behind her and ran out of the house as quickly as she could. She hurried through the crowd, taking down quite a few walkers as she went. Soon enough she caught up with Rick, Michonne, Spencer, Aaron, and Heath.

"Knock 'em away," Rick shouted. "Drive 'em down."

Mia paused when she saw Olivia and Eric hurrying to join them. They each had their own weapons and were using them against the walkers.

"We can beat 'em!" Rick shouted. "We can beat 'em!"

The group continued to take down the walkers in their path as more and more people joined them until nearly the whole community was out there with them. They continued to move towards one of the walls, taking down as many walkers as they could. Eventually, they were pushed back against the wall.

"Everybody, back up!" Rick shouted and everyone obeyed. Mia took her spot next to him and they continued to kill walkers together.

Suddenly, flames erupted from the center of the safe-zone, drawing the attention of every nearby walker. They dead ones slowly started away from the group, towards the flames.

"Don't let up!" Rick instructed.

The group started to fan out, killing the walkers that had turned their backs to them. They continued to fight even as the crowd started to thin. Night turned into day and every walker was either in the pond or lying dead on the floor.

Once they were done, they returned to the infirmary. Mia waited with Judith outside the bedroom that Denise had put Carl in while Rick went inside to sit with him. She wanted to give them some privacy, but she could still hear what Rick was saying.

"I was wrong. I thought after living behind these walls for so long that… maybe they couldn't learn. But today… I saw what they could do, what _we_ could do, if we work together. We'll rebuild the walls. We'll expand the walls. There will be more. There's gotta be more. Everything Deanna was talking about… is possible. It's all possible. I see that now. When I was out there… with them… when it was over… when I knew we had this place again… I had this feeling. It took me a while to remember what it was… because I haven't felt it since before I woke up in that hospital bed," Rick explained to his son, crying softly. "I want to show you the new world, Carl. I want to make it a reality for you. Please, Carl. Let me show you. Plea—please, son, don't die."

Mia smiled to herself as she placed a short kiss on top of Judith's head. She was relieved that Rick was finally able to see Alexandria as home and the people there as his own. She always knew it would happen someday. She was just happy it was that day.

"Mia!" Rick called out. She didn't hesitate to enter the bedroom, surveying the room quickly.

"What is it? What happened?" She asked as he stood from the bed.

"He squeezed my hand," Rick told her. He walked over to her and pulled her into a short kiss before taking Judith from her. Mia smiled at him before walking over to the bed. She checked Carl's vitals before checking his pupil response. When he seemed to be okay she turned back to Rick.

"He's okay," Mia said. "He'll probably wake up soon. I can give him something for the pain."

"Thank you, Mia," Rick said and kissed her again.

"I'm just glad he's okay," Mia admitted. She dropped her gaze to the floor for a couple seconds and looked back up at Rick. "I haven't told Spencer about our mom yet. I think he already knows, but it'll probably help to hear it from me."

Rick pursed his lips lightly as he stared down at Mia. He smoothed some hair out of her face and caressed her cheek softly. "It'll be hard for him either way, but it will sound better coming from you. Here."

Mia looked down and saw that he was holding one of the folded pieces of paper that her mother had given to him before she died. She didn't have to be told that it was the one meant for Spencer.

"Thanks," Mia sighed as she took the paper from his hand.

"How are you holding up?" Rick asked as he transferred Judith to his other hip.

Mia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She met Rick's gaze and shrugged softly. "My mom died. I'm never going to be able to talk to her again or hear her laugh. So, I'm not holding up too great, but I can't tell you how happy I am that I have you and Spencer."

"I'll be with you as long as I live," Rick told her. When he saw the tears welling up in her eyes he ran his thumb across her cheek. "Hey. Hey. Hey. It'll get easier. I promise."

Mia pressed her lips into a thin line as she dropped her head, sniffling softly. She took a shaky breath as she raised her gaze to meet Rick's. "My mom's dead, Rick. She died and I don't know how to exist in a world where she doesn't."

"Yeah, that part never really changes," Rick said. He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close to him, allowing her to lean her head on his shoulder. He held her until she was ready to talk to Spencer.

She found her brother outside the infirmary with the others. She was quick to pull him aside, telling him everything that had happened. Mia gave him the note once she was finished and left him to read it on his own.

Michonne found her shortly after she had gone off on her own. The older woman sat down beside her and handed her an apple.

"I figured you had forgotten to eat today," Michonne explained as Mia took the apple from her.

"Thanks," Mia murmured.

"I never got a chance to say that I'm sorry for your loss," Michonne said. "Deanna was a smart, kind woman. She'll be missed around here."

Mia turned her head to look at Michonne. "Thank you."

"Denise said that you were the reason that Carl lived," Michonne told her. "So, I also owe you a thank you. Thank you for saving him."

"Denise could have saved him. It wasn't that hard," Mia responded.

"But you were the one that did it," Michonne said.

Mia nodded slowly. "I think he'll make it. I hope he does, at least."

"He will," Michonne said. "Because of you, he will."

"What happens now?" Mia asked quietly.

"We rebuild and expand just like your mom wanted," Michonne said.

"I just wish she were here to see it," Mia whispered.

"She knew it would happen eventually," Michonne said. "That's why she made those plans in the first place."

"And now we get to use them," Mia said, nodding. "It's what she wanted so I'll make sure it happens."

"I know you will," Michonne said. "You have the same drive as her."

"My father used to say it was endearing," Mia said, laughing quietly. "My mother's perseverance helped because of her job and my dad said it would someday come in handy with mine."

"You always wanted to be a doctor?" Michonne asked.

"No," Mia answered. "When I was really young I dreamed normally. I wanted to be a princess and a vet, but when I was about ten I was in a car accident with my dad. No one was hurt too badly, but we had to go to the hospital. I had to get some stitches and a cast on my arm. I just remember my doctor being so kind and smart. Even though I was young I knew she got to help people and save lives. I realized that I wanted to do exactly that someday. From then on whenever anyone would ask me about what I wanted to be I would tell them that I wanted to be a doctor."

"Your parents must have been proud," Michonne said.

"They were," Mia said. "At least I'm pretty sure they were."

"They were," Michonne said. "That I'm sure of."

"Thank you for talking to me," Mia told her. "It was a good distraction."

"You're welcome," Michonne said as Mia stood up. "And if you ever need to talk I'm here."

"Thanks, Michonne," Mia said. She turned and walked back to the infirmary.

She went into Carl's room and sat down beside Rick. He took her hand and she leaned forward against his arm. With a heavy sigh, she relaxed and shut her eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly.

* * *

 **Two Months Later…**

Amelia woke with a heavy sigh. The weight around her waist and the breath on her ear told her that Rick was still asleep beside her. Mia had made the choice to move in with Rick a few weeks back. There wasn't always sex. Most of the time, they would just hold each other as they fell asleep. She liked that part the most. Rick would run his fingers through her hair and she would rest her head on his chest. It was peaceful. Every night they spent together felt so right. Being with him, no matter how short their time together had been, felt more right than anything in her life.

Carl and Judith too. She had always wanted kids, but after the world fell to pieces she lost hope that it could ever happen. With Carl and Judith, she didn't have to force it. He was a great kid and she was an amazing baby girl. Mia genuinely cared for them in a deeply motherly fashion that had snuck up on her rather suddenly. If something happened to either of them, she would be devastated and heartbroken.

Mia smiled to herself as she ran her fingers through her hair. Slowly, she slid off the bed and dressed herself. She looked over her shoulder as she pulled on her jeans to check on Rick. He was sitting up, watching her with a smile that turned into a grin when she caught him staring. Pulling out a black t-shirt, Mia threw it on before sitting down next to him.

"Good morning," Amelia said with a smile and he smiled back at her.

"Morning," Rick said. "Are you getting ready for the run?"

"Yeah," Mia said. She took hold of his hand and brought it to her lips. She pressed a short kiss to the back of his hand and sighed quietly.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked as he stared at her. "Did you have another nightmare?"

"Of course I did," Mia said, forcing a weak smile.

"What was it about?" Rick questioned.

Amelia took a deep breath and pursed her lips lightly. "I was lucky. When I was out there I was never alone for too long. When I was alone, it sucked big time. There was no one there to watch my back while I slept or went to the bathroom. So, I was glad that I managed to run into several groups. I got lucky with the first few groups I was with. Well, there was the slaughter with Mal, but up until that point everything was good. Then I met Sam and Dean and they were good people. It ended badly, but it started good. When I fell in with the next group, it clicked. Once again, I had found good people."

"But then you met another group," Rick finished for her. Mia nodded slowly.

"They called themselves the Outcasts," Mia told him. "There were mostly men in the group, but there were a few women. Right off the bat I bonded with this guy named Matt. He reminded me a lot of Spencer."

"Were you together?" Rick asked calmly.

"No, nothing like that," Mia said. "He was my best friend."

"He died?" Rick questioned.

"He was murdered," Mia corrected sternly. She cleared her throat and met Rick's gaze. "The people in the group were just bad people. They would hunt other groups, slaughtering them in cold blood, for fun. They'd rape women and children because they could and torture the men for as long as they wanted. I stayed with them for four weeks before both Matt and I decided we had to leave. The only problem was that it was against the rules. We would have to take five innocent lives each in order to be able to leave, but we couldn't do it so we ran."

"They caught you," Rick concluded.

"They did. The leader of the Outcasts, Ian Wildgrave, decided that the only appropriate punishment would be for one of us to die," Mia told Rick. "I tried to call his bluff and Ian snapped Matt's neck right in front of me. Then he let me go. I reached Alexandria a couple weeks later."

"Did they ever hurt you?" Rick asked.

Mia sighed heavily. "About a week after I joined them, we ran into another group. My group did what they did best. They murdered and tortured and raped. Ian was about to rape a fourteen year old girl when I stepped in. He told me that the only way he would spare this young girl was if I took her place. So, I slept with him. It was consensual and afterwards, he let the girl go."

"You did it to save her," Rick said.

"I did, but that didn't make it feel good," Mia said. "I did the same thing a couple more times, but I couldn't save them all."

"It wasn't your job to save them," Rick told her.

"I had to try," Mia responded. "These girls were defenseless and I was able to help them so I had to."

Rick nodded slowly. "I get it. That's who you are."

Mia looked over her shoulder when she heard a knock at the door. She and Rick stood from the bed and she started towards the door while he put on a shirt. Mia waited until he was dressed to open the door. She smiled when she came face to face with Michonne.

"Hey, Michonne," Mia greeted.

"Do you have any toothpaste left?" Michonne asked. She was wearing a bathrobe and had her hair up in a towel. Judith was in her arms, babbling quietly.

"Uh…" Mia sighed as she looked over her shoulder at Rick.

"No," Rick answered. "Because someone's been borrowing it everyday for two weeks."

Mia smiled as she looked back at Michonne. She cocked her head to the side as she shrugged weakly. "Sorry."

"You want to take her?" Michonne asked as she gestured to Judith.

"Yeah," Mia said. She took Judith into her arms and went to sit on the bed. She watched Rick as he took his belt over to the dresser pushed up against the wall. Judith leaned against her chest, playing with her hair. Rick pulled out his knife and began to etch a new notch.

Mia looked up when she heard a thud against the wall. She smiled, knowing it was Carl doing his physical therapy. Denise had been the one to suggest it. Rick turned around to face Mia when he was finished with his belt. He slipped it on through his pants and placed his watch on his wrist. The thudding continued rhythmically in the background as Rick put on his gun holster.

"Carl!" Michonne called out and the thudding ceased.

"What?" Carl asked from the next room. "Denise said it's PT."

"I can't hear you," Rick said with his voice raised slightly. "Come on out."

Mia shifted Judith in her arms, causing the baby to fuss quietly.

"What?" Carl asked as he walked into view.

"Denise say's it's PT," Carl and Rick said at the same time, causing Mia and Michonne to smile.

"You heard me," Carl said.

"Yeah," Rick sighed as he shared a look with Mia.

"It's time to change your bandage," Michonne told the teenager, causing him to look at Mia

"Denise can do it this time since I'm leaving," Mia explained.

"And I need to borrow some toothpaste," Michonne added.

"Okay, but I'm out of toothpaste," Carl said. He tossed the tennis ball to his dad and walked down the hall out of view. "Bye, dad. Bye, Mia."

"I'll see you later," Rick responded. He walked over to Mia and gestured to take Judith. She handed her to him and stood from the bed. "Come on, Sweetheart."

"You two be good out there," Michonne told them as they walked into the hall.

"Yeah, we'll see," Rick said. "And thank you."

"Oh," Michonne sighed. "Spearmint and baking soda, that's my favorite."

"Soon as we get it, you'll have it," Mia said as Rick tossed the tennis ball to Michonne.

"We have to drop off Judith at Carol's then we can go," Rick said. They started down the stairs hand-in-hand and walked out of the house.

* * *

Mia leaned her head against the window as the car rolled down the street towards the front gate. Eugene opened the gate for them before coming to Daryl's window. He pulled a piece of paper out of his chest pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Daryl.

"I mapped out some of the agricultural supply places in the area. Even if they've been cleaned out, my bet is that the sorghum would be untouched," Eugene explained. "Now, that there is a criminally underrated grain that could change the game with our food situation from scary to hunky-dunky. I'm talking standability, drought tolerance, grain-to-stover ratio that is the envy of all corns. Think about it."

"Thanks," Daryl said.

"All right," Eugene said as he stood up straight and stepped away from the car. "Okay."

Rick put the car in drive and drove out of the community. Mia sat quietly in the backseat as Rick drove and Daryl acted as the navigator. They continued down several streets in silence before Rick spoke up.

"Today's the day," Rick said aloud.

"Uh-huh," Daryl grunted.

"We're gonna find food, maybe some people. The law of averages has gotta catch up," Rick continued.

"I don't know. We ain't seen nobody for weeks. Maybe we ain't gonna find nobody," Daryl said. "Maybe that's a good thing."

Mia laughed silently when she saw Rick reach for the CD in the center console. She knew Daryl hated the music.

"Don't. Don't," Daryl pleaded as Rick placed it in the player. "Please don't."

Mia smiled to herself when the music started playing. She laughed quietly again when Rick turned up the music.

"Draws 'em away from home!" Rick shouted above the music.

* * *

Mia sat up when they reached the first place Eugene had mapped out. She got out of the car and went with Rick to secure the area.

"Hey, hold up," Daryl called out to them. "It's best to be safe. You guys cover it?"

"Yeah," Rick and Mia answered as they each held up their guns, scanning the area. Daryl opened the door to the barn, revealing a large truck parked inside. Rick and Mia checked the room for walkers.

"Yeah, we're good," Rick said.

"Same here," Mia added.

"One more time?" Rick questioned as he gestured to the truck.

"It ain't locked," Daryl noted before opening the back of the truck.

Mia let out a sigh of relief when she saw the large store of supplies inside.

"Well, how about that?" Rick asked. Daryl stepped up inside the truck and picked around a little. "Law of averages."

"Yep," Daryl sighed and stepped back out of the truck. Rick stepped up in his place. Mia wanted to get a look as well, but she kept her guard up instead. They didn't need to be blindsided just when they found the supplies they needed.

"Let's get this thing going, grab our gear, come back for the car later," Rick instructed as he stepped out of the truck. "We'll take another way back. See what we can see."

Daryl stepped up to close the door to the truck. "Think it'll start?"

"Yeah, I do," Mia answered before Rick could.

"Sorghum," Rick sighed with a shake of his head.

Daryl shut the door and they piled into the truck cab after grabbing their stuff from the car. They did what Rick said and took a different way back. They went for a while without stopping, but decided to check out a run-down gas station. Mia waited with Rick while Daryl checked the door. When it didn't open he turned his attention to a tipped over vending machine.

"Yo, give me a hand with this," Daryl told Rick and Mia. They joined him by the machine. "Let's flip it over."

They tried to turn it over, but failed miserably.

"I don't think we got it," Rick said. Daryl walked to the other side of the machine and took the crowbar off the top.

"I got an idea," Daryl told them.

They tied a metal chain around the machine and then to the back of the truck. Mia sat with Rick in the cab of the truck and they drove forward until they heard Daryl whistle. Rick put the truck in park and they got out.

"It's soda and candy," Rick pointed out as he surveyed the machine. "Why the trouble?"

"It wasn't any trouble," Daryl responded.

Suddenly, someone crashed into Rick, causing him to hit the vending machine. Mia and Daryl pulled their guns as Rick straightened up. The stranger faced them, but had a bandana hiding the lower half of his face. He held up his hands and looked between the three of them.

"Hi."

 **Thanks for reading! Please review and favorite and follow if you liked the chapter! The next chapter should be up in a week!**


	13. Chapter 10

Set during 6x10 "The Next World" and beginning half of 6x11 "Knots untie."

 _We live in cities you'll never see on screen_

 _Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things_

 _Living in ruins of a palace within my dreams_

 _And you know, we're on each other's team_

" _Team" – Lorde_

Chapter 10 – Team

"Back up!" Daryl shouted. "Now!"

"Keep 'em up!" Rick ordered when the man started to lower his hands.

"Whoa, easy," the stranger said. "I was just running from the dead."

"How many?" Mia asked.

"10, maybe more," the man responded. "I'm not risking it. Once it gets to double digits, I start running."

"Where?" Daryl questioned.

"About a half mile back," the stranger answered. "They're headed this way. You probably have about 11 minutes."

"Okay, thanks for letting us know," Rick told him and lowered his weapon. Mia and Daryl kept their weapons raised, though.

"Yeah, there's more of them than us, right? Gotta stick together," the man said. He looked at Daryl then Mia, tilting his head slightly. "Right?"

Daryl lowered his weapon first and Mia followed a few seconds later.

"You have a camp?" The stranger asked.

"No," Mia answered.

"Do you?" Rick asked.

"No," he answered. "Sorry for running into you. I'm gonna go now. If this is the next world, I hope it's good to you."

"I'm Rick. This is Daryl and Mia," Rick said as the man turned his back to them and started in the opposite direction. "What's your name?"

The stranger turned towards them and lowered the bandana covering his face. "Paul Rovia. But my friends used to call me Jesus. Your pick."

"You said you didn't have a camp," Mia noted.

Rick shared a look with her before turning back to Jesus. "You on your own?"

"Yeah," Jesus said. "But, still, best not to try anything."

"Best not to make threats you can't keep, either," Daryl told him.

"Exactly," Jesus said before turning his back to them and jogging away.

"How many walkers—" Rick started.

"No, not this guy," Daryl said, cutting him off.

"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick continued, but Jesus didn't slow down.

"Sorry, gotta run. You should, too," Jesus told them. "You got about seven minutes."

"What the hell was that?" Daryl asked Mia and Rick.

"He was clean," Mia explained. "His beard, it was trimmed."

"There's more going on there," Rick added.

"He didn't have a gun either," Daryl said.

"We could track him, watch him for a while, get to know more. See if he's really alone," Rick suggested. "Maybe bring him back."

"Nah, the guy calls himself Jesus," Daryl said.

Mia reached for her gun when she heard gunshots ring out. Rick and Daryl fell into place behind her as they circled the building. They slowed when they reached the back and discovered sparks coming out of a trashcan.

"Firecrackers," Rick identified. "Shit."

"He swiped your keys didn't he?" Daryl asked and Rick checked his pockets.

"Oh, shit!" Rick exclaimed and they went running to the front of the gas station.

"Sorry!" Jesus shouted from the truck.

Rick, Mia, and Daryl ran out into the street, watching the truck drive off with the vending machine trailing behind it.

"Shit!" Rick said.

"If we keep going on foot, we might be able to catch him eventually," Mia suggested.

Daryl picked up his backpack off the floor and looked at Rick. "She's right. It's our best shot."

"Okay," Rick sighed. "We run."

They started off at a slow jog and kept up that pace until they reached the vending machine in the middle of the road. Daryl went over to the machine while Mia and Rick tried to catch their breath. He broke the glass with the crowbar from his backpack and started to pick out snacks and sodas.

"This was a special request from Denise," Daryl explained before taking a drink out of one of the cans. He tossed the broken can to Rick. Rick took a drink before passing it to Mia.

"Whatever she wants. She helped save Carl's life," Rick said. "We didn't know her and she turned out to be all right. If there's still people out here, and they're still people, we should bring 'em in."

Mia gave the can back to Daryl after she took a drink. He drank more before speaking. "What, like this guy?"

"Definitely not this guy," Mia answered for Rick. Daryl took another drink from the soda can.

Rick went to the machine and picked something out, tucking it into his back pocket.

"We still got a trail," Daryl said as he handed the soda back to Rick. He finished it off before tossing it back into the vending machine.

"Let's go," Rick said and they took off at a jog down the street.

They ran for a while without stopping, but sped up when they saw tire marks on a side street. They followed them for a short distance until Daryl gestured for them to slow down. They peered over a small hill in the road and saw the truck sitting idle a ways down the street. Jesus was kneeling beside the truck with a tire iron in his hands.

"Come on," Daryl said and gestured to the woods.

They snuck through the woods towards the truck, keeping their guns ready. They split up once they got close enough. Mia went with Rick around the back of the truck while Daryl went around the front. Mia stayed back as Rick crept up behind Jesus and grabbed onto him.

"Hold still and maybe we won't hurt you," Rick told him.

"Sure thing," Jesus responded.

Mia pulled her gun when he took down Rick and then Daryl. She couldn't get a clear shot until Rick pushed him down into the dirt. All three of them then pointed their guns at him.

"This is done," Rick said.

Mia glanced up when she heard a walker, but turned her attention back to Jesus when she saw it wasn't too close. He sat up on his elbows and looked between Rick, Mia, and Daryl.

"Do you even have any ammo?" Jesus asked.

On cue, the three of them raised their weapon and shot the single walker in the head.

"Okay," Jesus said. "You gonna shoot me over a truck?"

"There's a lot of food on that truck," Rick answered. "The keys, now."

"I think you know I'm not a bad guy," Jesus said.

"Yeah? What do you know about us?" Rick asked. "Give me the keys. This is the last time I'm asking."

Once he handed the keys over Mia tied him up.

"Damn it," Daryl said as he inspected his backpack. The soda cans had popped when Jesus knocked him against the truck.

"You gonna leave me here like this?" Jesus asked Mia. "You're really gonna do that?"

"The knots aren't that tight," she told him. "You should be able to get out of them once we're gone."

"Maybe we should talk now," Jesus suggested. Mia smiled as she looked at him and shook her head.

"Nah. Here," Daryl said. He shook up one of the sodas and tossed it on the ground in front of Jesus. "In case you get thirsty."

Mia gave Jesus one last glance before getting in the truck with Rick and Daryl. She had to sit on the center console since there were only two seats. She smiled as Rick twirled the keys around his finger. Daryl took out the last soda can from his bag and handed it to Mia. She tucked it into the cup holder between her legs and leaned against the back of the truck cab. Rick started the car and Daryl put his feet up on the dashboard before he stuck his hand out the window, holding up his middle finger.

"So long, you prick!" He called out.

Mia laughed quietly as Rick drove down the street. A short while later Daryl took out some of the candy from his bag and offered some to Mia and Rick. Mia passed, but Rick took a piece.

"Still worked out," Rick said. "Today is still the day."

Daryl turned up the music as they continued down the street. He offered another piece of the candy to Rick, who gladly took it.

"Look," Mia said as they came upon a large field.

"Yeah, a barn," Daryl said.

Several loud thuds came from above as they pulled into the field.

"You hear that?" Rick asked as the thudding continued.

Mia turned down the music and listened for the sound. It came again, almost louder this time.

"I think that son of a bitch is on the roof," Daryl said.

"Hold on," Rick told them. Mia stuck her feet up on the dash and held onto Daryl and Rick's seats as Rick hit the brakes suddenly. Jesus came flying off the top of the truck and landed a few feet in front of them. He stood up and looked at them for a long moment before turning and running in the opposite direction. Rick accelerated, gaining on Jesus quickly.

"Mother—" Daryl started. Mia turned her head to the side when she heard Daryl open his door

"Daryl! Daryl!" Rick shouted after him. He hopped out of the moving vehicle and ran after Jesus on foot.

Rick continued after him, but when he closed in on him, Jesus dodged the truck. Rick reversed until the truck was out of the way. Jesus continued to dodge Daryl in the distance, but Mia was distracted by a few walkers tied to a car. They snapped loose suddenly and started towards the truck.

"We came to a conclusion, asshole!" Daryl shouted after Jesus. He looked to Rick and Mia and gestured to the man he was running after. "I got him!"

Rick and Mia took his word and went after the walkers, taking them down two at a time. Both of them turned back to the truck when they heard a gunshot. Mia could see that Daryl and Jesus were still in the cab as the truck started to reverse down the hill. She ran towards them with Rick by her side and was grateful when Daryl fell out of the truck with Jesus. She winced when Jesus got hit over the head by the open door as the vehicle continued backwards towards the water. They reached Daryl as he kicked Jesus onto his back. They watched as the truck sank into the pond.

"You all right?" Mia asked as she glanced at Daryl.

"Yeah," Daryl said. "Law of averages. That's bullshit, man. Let's go check them cars, get the hell out of here."

"What about him?" Mia asked as she gestured to Jesus.

"What about him?" Daryl questioned.

"He helped you, didn't he?"

"Maybe," Daryl said.

"He ever pull a weapon on you?" Rick asked.

"Fine," Daryl said. "Let's put him up a tree."

* * *

Mia sighed as she peered out the window. They had found another car rather easily, but it was convincing Daryl not to leave Jesus up a tree that was hard. She looked up at Rick when the car swerved slightly. She followed his gaze to the rearview mirror to see Daryl push Jesus off him. She smiled lightly and shook her head as she turned her attention back to the scenery outside the car.

"He took a pretty hard hit," Rick said aloud. "Maybe you or Denise could look him over when we get back."

"I can do it," Mia told him without sparing a glance in his direction.

"You wouldn't have gone through with it," Rick said to Daryl. "You wouldn't have left him."

"I would've, right up in a tree," Daryl retorted. "I would've."

"No. I know," Rick said. "Almost as soon as we got to Alexandria, you got it. You saw—you… and Michonne, Glenn, you all tried to tell me. So, shut up."

The car swerved again and Mia could hear Daryl shove Jesus.

"Cause I'm finally listening," Rick finished.

* * *

They barely spoke on the way back to Alexandria. It was only when the gate was in sight that someone broke the silence.

"You know, I was thinking," Daryl paused, "back before we went out to the quarry. The morning after Reg and Pete. You said we shouldn't be looking for people no more. You were right."

Rick stopped the car in front of the gate and gave Mia a sidelong glance.

"No," Rick said. "I was wrong. You were right."

He flashed the headlights twice and the gate opened a few moments later. They pulled into the community and went straight to the infirmary. Daryl and Rick carried Jesus onto the porch and to the front door while Mia knocked.

"Sorry to wake you up," Mia said when Denise answered the door.

"Who is this?" She asked as she gestured to Jesus.

"Come on, man. He's heavy," Daryl said. "Oh, that thing, uh, didn't work out. It's this asshole's fault. Sorry."

"Lay him on the bed," Denise instructed as she moved out of the way.

"You and Mia should take a look at him," Rick said.

"He ain't staying though," Daryl said.

* * *

Mia waited by the door as Daryl and Rick put Jesus down on the bed in the basement of one of the empty buildings. She watched while Daryl put down a cup of water and a cookie and Rick placed a note against the cup.

"We'll see," Rick sighed. He stood up and started towards the door. "It is pretty stupid for us to go out there, isn't it?"

"Yep," Daryl and Mia chorused.

"Do it again tomorrow?" Daryl asked.

"Yep," Rick and Mia answered before they walked out of the building.

Daryl volunteered to keep watch over Jesus while Rick and Mia went home. They went straight to their room and got ready for bed.

"Mia," Rick said as she undressed. She looked over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you were out there with us today," he told her.

"Me too," Mia said, nodding. She faced him as she pulled on one of Rick's shirts. "Even though we did lose that entire stash, it was worth it."

"You think we should let him stay?" Rick asked.

"Jesus was just looking out for himself," Mia explained. "He did exactly what I would have done."

"Really?" Rick questioned. "You would have climbed up on top of that truck?"

"I would have tried," Mia said with a weak shrug. She laughed breathlessly when Rick smiled. "I think we should give him a chance. Hear him out, at least."

"After everything you've been through, how can you still see the good in people?" Rick asked.

"I'd like to think that it was because that's how my parents raised me, but I think it just comes down to the fact that I still have faith in humanity. I hope it still exists," Mia explained. "And I was right when it came to you."

She hopped up on the bed and walked across the mattress to Rick's side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned down to kiss him. It started out as a sweet gesture that quickly deepened. Mia let out something between a laugh and a squeak when Rick grabbed her legs and knocked them out from under her. He caught her and laid her back on the bed. He climbed over her and leaned down to kiss her again. This one was slower and more passionate. Rick dragged his hands up her sides, noting the curves of her body. She kissed him back harder as he ran his fingers through her hair. Her fingers found the hem of his shirt and slipped under and up, tentatively touching the warm skin of his chest. They helped each other out of their shirts and Rick was quick to remove his pants. Rick's eyes were lustful as he peppered kisses along her collarbone, hands moving to her hips. Mia arched her back as Rick's mouth descended upon her neck.

"We should go to bed," Mia huffed as Rick continued to kiss her neck. "We've got an early morning."

Rick lifted his head and raised a hand to smooth some hair out of her face. "You're right."

She bit her lip softly as she placed one hand against his chest while caressing his cheek with the other. "I love you, Rick Grimes."

"I love you, too, Amelia Monroe," Rick replied without hesitation. He pushed himself off her and laid down beside her, taking her hand in his. "We'll talk to Jesus before we leave on the run tomorrow. See if he's right for this place."

"And if he isn't?" Mia asked, turning her head to look at Rick. He met her gaze with a sigh.

"Then we'll take him back to the gas station, tie him up, and leave him," Rick answered.

"And actually make sure he stays tied up," Mia added quietly.

"Yeah," Rick said. He kissed her forehead before wrapping an arm over her bare stomach. "We'll talk over specifics with Daryl in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan," Mia agreed. She took a deep breath as she stared at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?"

"The nightmares," Mia told him. "I'd just like to have a break for once."

"Maybe tonight's the night," Rick said, causing Mia to look at him.

"Yeah, maybe."

"I'm here if you need me," Rick said.

"I know," Mia murmured. She shut her eyes a few seconds later and turned onto her side. She felt Rick slide closer to her and took comfort in his company. It took a while, but sleep seemed to welcome her like an old friend when it finally came.

"Rick. Mia. Rick, wake up."

Mia's eyes bolted open and she sprung from the bed, grabbing her gun from the nightstand before turning to face whoever had woken them. She sighed when she saw it was Jesus who had snuck into their room. She thought about lowering her gun, but she could see Rick out of the corner of her eye with his gun poised.

"We should talk," Jesus told them. He glanced at Rick then Mia, making her tilt her head daringly. "I'll wait outside while you two get dressed."

"Great idea," Mia retorted before grabbing the blanket off the bed and covering herself with it. She dropped the blanket once Jesus was gone and pulled on her shirt and pants as fast as she could. Rick hurried to get dressed as well and they appeared in the hallway together. They stopped short when she heard Jesus' voice at the end of the hall.

"—waiting for your mom and dad to get dressed," Jesus said. "Hi. I'm Jesus."

"Mia's not my mom," Carl told him. "She's my dad's girlfriend."

"I thought she looked a little young to have a teenage son," Jesus responded.

"My age is none of your business," Mia said as she walked up behind him and Carl. Abraham, Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie came running up the stairs a moment later, each with their weapons ready.

"It's okay," Rick said to the others, but they hesitated to lower their guns.

Mia exhaled slowly as she ran a hand through her hair. "You said you wanted to talk, so let's talk."

* * *

"So, how'd you get out?" Rick asked. They were all seated at the table in the dining room.

"One guard can't cover two exits or third floor windows," Jesus answered. "Knots untie, locks get picked. Entropy comes from order, right?"

"Right," Daryl said.

"I checked out your arsenal. I haven't seen anything like that in a long time. You're well-equipped, but your provisions are low," Jesus noted. Mia squared her shoulders as she stood beside Daryl, her gun still in her hand. "Very low for the amount of people you have. 54?"

"More than that," Maggie told him.

"Well, I appreciate the cookie. Compliments to the chef," Jesus said.

"Yeah, she ain't here," Daryl said.

Jesus shifted in his seat to face Daryl. "Look, we got off to a bad start. But we're on the same side—the living side. You, Mia, and Rick had every reason to leave me out there, but you didn't. I'm from a place a lot like this one. Part of my job is searching out other settlements to trade with. I took your truck because my community needs things, and the three of you looked like trouble. I was wrong. You're good people and this is a good place. I think our communities may be in a position to help each other."

"Do you have food?" Glenn asked.

"We've started to raise livestock," Jesus answered. "We scavenge, we grow. Everything from tomatoes to sorghum."

"Why should we believe you?" Mia questioned.

"I'll show you," Jesus said. "If we take a car, I can take you back home in a day, and you can all see for yourselves who we are and what we have to offer."

"Wait, you're looking for _more_ settlements," Maggie said. "You mean you're already trading with other groups?"

Jesus leaned back in his seat and smirked knowingly. "Your world's about to get a whole lot bigger."

It didn't take long for them to get the RV ready for the trip. Mia volunteered to watch over Jesus while the others packed the car. She kept her gun in her lap as she sat beside him on the couch.

"How old _are_ you?" Jesus asked quietly.

"Why do you care?" Mia retorted with a glance in his direction.

"I'm just curious," Jesus explained.

"Is it because of me and Rick?" Mia cocked an eyebrow.

"Partly," Jesus answered as he ran a hand over his beard. "And partly because it's been a while since I've met someone your age."

Mia looked away from him and leaned back in the couch. "I'm twenty-three."

"I would have guessed twenty-five," Jesus told her.

"I know Rick's older and I'm younger, and chances are that one of us will die before we get to live happily ever after, but… I love him and he loves me," Mia explained quietly as she fiddled with her gun.

"You must if you're willing to tell a complete stranger about it," Jesus joked with a small smirk.

Mia looked at him and smiled. "You're not a complete stranger."

"I guess not," Jesus said. A short silence ensued until he looked at her again. She was staring off into the distance, but she could sense his eyes on her. "Were you here since the beginning?"

"No," Mia sighed. "I was away at school when everything went down and it took almost two years to get here."

"You have family here?" Jesus asked.

"I did," Mia said. "I mean, I still have my brother, Spencer, and the Alexandrians but my parents and my brother, Aiden, died after I got here."

"How?"

"My brother, Aiden, was attacked by walkers, my dad was murdered by another man that used to live here, and my mom was bitten just a couple months ago," Mia revealed. She sighed heavily and laid a hand on her gun. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"I'm told I have a trustworthy face," Jesus said, causing Mia to let out a breathless laugh. "I was on my own too before I made it to my community."

"I want to trust you, Jesus," Mia said. "I want to believe that there are still good people out there."

"Let me show you that there are," Jesus suggested. "My community will prove it."

"I hope it does," Mia sighed.

"I'm sorry for your losses," Jesus said after a couple seconds of silence passed between them. "I've heard it does get easier."

"Yeah, I've heard that too," Mia said. "I hope it's true."

"The RV's ready to go," Abraham announced as he peeked his head back inside the house. Mia nodded and he disappeared again.

Jesus stood up and offered a hand to Mia. She took it after tucking her gun into her belt and he pulled her up from the couch. "Don't lose hope yet."

Mia looked down to see Jesus still holding onto her hand. "I'm trying not to."

He let go of her hand and motioned towards the door. "Ladies first."

Mia smiled softly and walked out of the house with Jesus on her heels. She slowed when she reached the porch steps and gave Jesus a sidelong glance. "What's your community called?"

"Hilltop," Jesus told her.

"Sounds nice," Mia said quietly.

"It is," Jesus said.

They walked down the stairs side-by-side and went to the RV. Jesus let Mia get into the vehicle first and followed after her. She knew Rick was driving so she took the passenger side seat. Mia glanced over her shoulder to see Jesus already staring at her.

"What?" Mia asked with a curious smile.

"Nothing," Jesus said quickly. He shook his head lightly and gestured towards her. "It's just—your scars."

"What about them?"

"You must be pretty brave," Jesus said.

"They hurt when I got them," Mia admitted as she glanced down at her arms.

"You've been through a lot and you've survived. You're a survivor," Jesus told her.

"You have no idea," Mia said with a sigh and she faced forward, putting her feet up on the dash.

"You ready to go?" Rick asked as he took his seat beside her.

"Yep," Mia said.

Rick started the RV and drove out of the community. They stuck to the main roads as per Jesus' instructions and didn't slow until they came upon a car crash on the side of the road.

"Yo, Rick. What's going on?" Daryl asked from his seat.

"We got a crash ahead," Rick answered. "Looks like it just happened."

"It's one of ours," Jesus said as they pulled into the parking lot. Rick shared a look with Mia as they parked the RV. They piled out of the vehicle and walked over to the crash site hand-in-hand.

Rick waited until Jesus was done inspecting the car to pull his gun on him. Mia retrieved her gun from her belt, but kept it at her side.

"If this is a trick it won't end well for you," Rick told him.

"My people are in trouble," Jesus said. "They don't—we don't have a lot of fighters. I know how it looks, but I'll play it out. Can I borrow a gun?"

"No," Daryl said before gesturing from Rick to the ground. "We got tracks right here."

They followed the tracks to the door of the nearest building and Rick banged on the door a couple times.

"They gotta be in there," Jesus said.

"We moving in or what?" Abraham asked.

"How do we know this ain't firecrackers in a trash can?" Daryl asked.

"We don't," Mia said at the same time Jesus said, "You don't."

"If we go in and it's a trap, someone should be out here to take out Jesus," Dean suggested. He had volunteered to go on the trip to Hilltop with them, and no one could find a good reason to say no. Mia kept her distance since he was still openly pursuing her.

"We'll get your people," Rick decided. "But Dean's right. You stay out here with one of us."

"That's the deal," Michonne added when Jesus looked at her.

"Will you stay?" Glenn asked Maggie.

"Yeah," she answered. "Y'all go. Just be careful."

"Yeah," Rick said as he handcuffed Jesus. "We'll be careful."

"Just hurry," Jesus told them.

"You hear me whistle, shoot him," Rick instructed Maggie. Jesus spared a glance in Mia's direction and she offered him a weak shrug. They couldn't be too careful.

"I will," Maggie answered.

Daryl held open the door as they all filed into the building with their weapons ready. Michonne, Rick, and Mia went one way while the others split off in different directions. They took down three walkers in a dark hallway before walking into a large office. There were two people hiding in the corner.

"Come on out," Mia instructed. "We're not going to hurt you."

"We're friends of Jesus," Michonne explained as she checked them for weapons. "We're here to get you out."

"There more of you?" Rick asked with his gun still raised.

"Two more," the woman said. "They ran ahead."

They led the way through the building and eventually met up with the others and the rest of Jesus' people. They made their way back to the RV once Mia took off Jesus' handcuffs. They continued on their way towards Hilltop, only stopping when the RV got stuck in the road.

"Damn it," Rick said. "A storm must've passed through. We're stuck."

Jesus stood up and peered out the front window. "No worries. We're here."

They filed out of the car and followed Jesus towards the walled community. Mia's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at the outside of the community. It was protected just like Alexandria.

"That's us. That's the Hilltop," Jesus told them.

They had to walk the rest of the way on foot, but it was only a short distance from the RV to the front gate. They came to a stop on the dirt path that led to the gate.

"Stop right there," a man shouted.

"Whoa!" Jesus said as everyone raised their guns towards the top of the gate.

"You gonna make us?" Daryl asked.

"Jesus, what the hell is this?" one of the men standing at the top of the gate asked. Both of the men up there were carrying spears.

"Open the gate, Cal. Freddie's hurt," Jesus explained. He turned towards Rick's group. "Look, sorry about these guys. They get antsy standing up there all day doing nothing."

"They give up their weapons. Then we open the gates," one of the men on guard said.

"Why don't you come down here and get 'em?" Daryl asked daringly.

"Gentlemen, look, we vouch for these people, all right?" Dr. Carson told them. "They saved us out there."

"Lower the spears," Jesus instructed.

"Look, I'm not taking any chances," Rick told Jesus. "Tell your guy Gregory to come out here."

"No. Don't you see what just happened? I'm letting you keep your guns. Look, we ran out of ammo months ago. I like you people," Jesus said as he glanced between Rick and Mia. "I trust you. Trust us."

Rick gestured for his group to lower their weapons and Jesus turned towards the gates. "Open the gates, Cal."

* * *

Once they were inside Hilltop, Jesus explained everything about the community. The walls had been built with materials from a materials yard for a power company nearby. People and trailers came from a FEMA camp. The huge mansion in the center of the community was called the Barrington house. It gave them perfect security. The group followed Jesus into the house and took a moment to look around.

"Good gracious, Ignatius," Abraham said as he entered the house. He was busy staring at the large foyer.

"Most of the rooms have been converted to living spaces," Jesus explained. "Even the ones that weren't bedrooms."

"People live here and the trailers?" Rick asked.

"We plan to build," Jesus said. "There's babies being born."

Mia turned around when she heard doors open behind her. There was an older man standing in the doorway to the study.

"Jesus," the man said. "You're back. With guests."

"Everyone, this is Gregory. He keeps the trains running on time around here," Jesus said.

"I'm the boss," Gregory said as he gestured around him.

"Well, I'm Rick," Rick said. "We have a community—"

"Why don't y'all go get cleaned up, hmm?" Gregory asked, cutting off Rick.

"We're fine," Mia told him.

"Jesus will show you where you can get washed up. Then come back down here when you're ready," Gregory said as he walked towards Rick. "It's hard to keep this place clean."

"Yeah, sure," Rick said.

"Follow me," Jesus told them and started up the stairs.

"You clean up first," Rick said to Maggie as they walked up the stairs. "You talk to him."

"Why?" Maggie asked.

"I shouldn't," Rick answered, causing Mia to smile to herself. "And you should start doing these things."

* * *

"You okay?"

Mia looked up to see Jesus standing over her. He wasn't wearing his hat or jackets anymore and seemed even cleaner than before. She forced a smile before turning her attention back to the bracelet she was wearing—Aiden's bracelet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mia answered. "I'm just waiting for Rick."

"Nice bracelet," Jesus said as he sat down beside her.

"It was my brother's," Mia explained. "He gave it to me right before he died."

"I'm sorry," Jesus said.

"It's something to remember him by," Mia said with a shrug. "I don't take it off."

"That's a given," Jesus responded.

"I wanted to ask you about Gregory," Mia said. "Is he always that—"

"Uptight?" Jesus finished.

"Amongst other things," Mia answered.

"He is," Jesus said. "He thinks it helps keep him in control."

"And does it?"

"Sometimes," Jesus said, shrugging weakly.

"I'm just glad Maggie was okay with talking to him," Mia said.

"You wouldn't have volunteered?" Jesus said with a short laugh.

"I probably would have ended up punching him in the face," Mia answered truthfully.

"Yeah," Jesus said. "I felt that way when I first met him, too."

"And you got over it?"

"Something like that," Jesus said. They allowed a short silence pass between them before Jesus spoke again. "Mia."

"Yeah?" She turned her head to look at him.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

"More than some I would assume," Mia said. "Why?"

"Because Hilltop could use more people like you," Jesus explained. "And there's always room for more."

"Are you inviting me to come live here?" Mia asked with a weak smile.

"It's a proposition," Jesus said, nodding.

"I'm flattered, really, but Alexandria is my home, and the people there are my family," Mia told him. "I couldn't leave them."

"Right," Jesus said. "It was just an idea."

"My dad was the one who built the walls there and my mom ran things until she died," Mia said. "Spencer, my brother, is the only blood-relative I have left and he lives there."

"You don't have to explain," Jesus said as he placed a hand on top of hers. "I understand."

"Thanks," Mia said.

"What's going on out here?"

Mia looked up to see Rick standing over them. He didn't seem angry, but his gaze was lingering on their hands. She pulled her hand out from under Jesus' and ran it through her hair.

"Jesus was just telling me that Gregory was always this way," Mia said.

"That must be kind of exhausting," Rick said. He offered a hand to Mia and pulled her to her feet when she took it.

"You have no idea," Jesus said as he stood up.

Jesus led the way downstairs where the others were already waiting. Maggie came out a while later and told them that Gregory rejected her proposal to trade.

"We want to generate trade," Jesus explained. "Gregory does, but ammo isn't something we urgently need."

"Well, how's that?" Rick asked.

"The walls hold," Jesus answered. "We just brought in more medicine. Gregory wants the best deal possible."

"Yeah, well, we want things, too," Daryl said.

"We need food," Rick said. "We came all this way, we're gonna get it."

Jesus and Rick held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Jesus spoke. "I will talk to him and we will work this out. Circumstances change. We're doing well now, and you will next. I will make him understand that. Can you give me a few days?"

"We can," Mia answered before Rick could get a word in.

"Yeah," Rick said after sharing a look with Mia.

They all turned towards the front door when they heard footsteps coming up the porch. The door opened and a man walked into the foyer as Gregory appeared from the study.

"What's wrong?" Gregory asked.

"They're back," the man answered.

They followed Gregory out of the house and out to the yard. Three people came to meet them, two men and one woman.

"Ethan, what happened to everybody else?" Gregory asked. "Where's Tim and Marsha?"

"They're dead," Ethan answered.

"Negan?" Gregory asked.

"Yeah."

"We had a deal," Gregory responded.

"He said it wasn't enough," the other man said. "Was the drop light?"

"No," Gregory answered.

"They still have Craig," the woman said.

"They said they'd keep him alive, return him to us, if I delivered a message to you," Ethan explained.

"So, tell me," Gregory said. The taller man put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said before plunging a knife into Gregory's stomach.

Mia rushed forward alongside Jesus and caught Gregory before he fell to the floor. They lowered him down as Rick and Michonne tried to take down Ethan. The man pushed Michonne aside, but Rick manage to put him on his back, punching him a few times before the other man from the group pushed him off. Abraham tackled the second man and Rick got back on top of Ethan.

"Keep pressure on that," Mia said. She scrambled to her feet as the second man began to choke Abraham.

"I got this," Daryl told her before going to break the man's arm.

Mia turned her attention to Rick and Ethan. Rick was on the floor with Ethan on top of him, pressing a knife to his neck. Mia pulled her gun and pointed it at him.

"Stay back! Anybody who tries to stop me is killing my brother!"

"Drop it," Michonne ordered, distracting Ethan long enough for Rick to stab him in the neck.

Rick pushed the dead man off him and staggered to his feet. Mia lowered her gun once she was sure he was okay.

"What?" Rick asked when he saw everyone staring at him.

"Ethan!" The second man shouted. "You killed him!"

"He tried to kill Gregory then me," Rick retorted.

Mia stepped forward when the woman who had been part of Ethan's group ran forward and punched Rick across the face. She was quick to push the woman to the floor.

"Stay down," Mia told her.

"Drop it now!" A man shouted as he came running up with a spear in his hands.

"I don't think I will," Rick said and stepped towards them with his gun raised.

"Everyone, this is over!" Jesus shouted as he stepped between Rick and the two men with spears, holding up his hands to stop them from moving forward. "It's over. Ethan was our friend, but let's not pretend he was anything more than a coward who attacked us. He did this, and these people stopped him."

"What can I do?" Rick asked.

"Put the gun away. You've done enough," Jesus told him. Rick lowered his guns and Jesus lowered his arms. He turned towards Rick. "You need to know that things aren't as simple as they might seem. Just give me some time."

Jesus walked past Rick and Mia and over to Gregory who was still lying on the floor. Mia joined him and Dr. Carson and helped take Gregory into the house. She offered to stay and help Dr. Carson, but he told her he had it covered. She returned downstairs and waited with the others until Jesus joined them in the study.

"Dr. Carson was able to patch Gregory up," Jesus explained. "He's in pain, but he'll live."

"So, what happens now?" Michonne asked.

"Things like that don't usually happen here, but, uh, it's settled," Jesus said.

"We heard the name Negan," Rick said. "A while back, Daryl and Abraham had a run-in with his men. Who is he?"

"Negan's the head of a group of people he calls the Saviors. As soon as the walls were built, the Saviors showed up. They met with Gregory on behalf of their boss. They made a lot of demands, even more threats. And he killed one of us—Rory," Jesus revealed. "He was 16 years old. They beat him to death right in front of us. Said we needed to understand, right off the bat. Gregory's not exactly good at confrontation. He's not the leader I would've chosen, but he helped make this place what it is, and the people like him."

"He made the deal," Mia concluded.

Jesus looked at her and nodded. "Half of everything. Our supplies, our crops, our livestock, it goes to the Saviors."

"And what do you get in return?" Glenn asked.

"They don't attack this place," Jesus answered. "They don't kill us."

"Why not just kill them?" Daryl questioned.

"Most of the people here don't even know how to fight, even if we had ammo," Jesus said.

"Well, how many people does Negan have?" Rick asked.

"We don't know. We've seen groups as big as 20," Jesus answered.

"Now, hold up. So, they show up, they kill a kid, and you give them half of everything?" Daryl asked. "These dicks just got a good story. The boogeyman, he ain't shit."

"Well, how do you know?" Jesus asked.

"A month ago, we took his guys out PDQ," Abraham explained. "Left them in pieces and puddles."

"Yeah, we'll do it," Daryl said. "If we go get your man back, kill Negan, take out his boys, will you hook us up? We want food, medicine, and one of them cows."

Jesus looked to Rick. "Confrontation's never been something we've had trouble with."

"I'll take it to Gregory," Jesus said.

* * *

"They have food, we don't. We don't have enough of anything. Except us. What we can do. This is the trade," Rick said as the group waited on the terrace.

"It's gonna cost us something," Maggie said.

"Maggie's right," Mia agreed. "We won't get through this without losing something or someone."

"So, you don't think we should do it?" Rick asked her.

"I think we should take this slow," Mia said. "We shouldn't go in guns blazing without every piece of information we can scrounge up."

"We'll do our research," Daryl said.

They turned towards the door when it opened. Jesus stepped out onto the patio.

"Gregory's up. He wants to talk," Jesus said. He put up a hand when Rick started towards the door. "To Maggie. He wants to talk to Maggie."

"You got this," Glenn told his wife.

"Deanna was right about you," Rick told her.

"I'm sorry in advance," Jesus said. "Gregory can be a real prick."

"I know," Maggie said before they disappeared into the house.

Mia ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face as she leaned against the railing. She knew it would be a mistake to go up against the Saviors.


	14. Chapter 11

Set during 6x12 "Not Tomorrow Yet" and 6x13 "The Same Boat."

 _And the cry goes out_

 _They lose their mind for us_

 _And how it plays out_

 _Now we're in the ring_

 _And we're coming for blood_

 _You could try to take us_

 _But we're the gladiators_

 _Everyone's a rager_

 _But secretly they're saviors_

 _Glory and gore go hand in hand_

 _That's why we're making headlines_

 _But you could try to take us_

 _But victory's contagious_

" _Glory and Gore" – Lorde_

Chapter 11 – Glory and Gore

"And we can work with the Hilltop. Maggie hammered out a deal. We're getting food- eggs, butter, fresh vegetables. But they're not just giving it away. These Saviors, they almost killed Sasha, Daryl, and Abraham on the road. Now, sooner or later, they would've found us, just like those Wolves did, just like Jesus did," Rick explained to the people in the church. Mia was seated beside Jesus at the front of the room. She had her machete sitting in her lap with one hand resting on the grip. Her gaze lingered on the weapon as Rick continued. "They woulda killed someone or some of us. And then they would try to own us. And we would try to stop them. But by then, in that kind of fight, low on food, we could lose. This is the only way to be sure, as sure as we can get, that we win. And we have to win. We do this for the Hilltop, it's how we keep this place. It's how we feed this place. This needs to be a group decision. If anybody objects, here's your chance to say your piece."

The room remained silent for a while, until Morgan stood from his seat. Mia lifted her gaze to peer across the church at the older man. A part of her hoped he had what it took to talk Rick out of the fight. She understood that they needed the supplies from the Hilltop, but she wasn't sure it would be worth whatever they were about to lose.

"You're sure we can do it?" Morgan asked. "We can beat them?"

"What this group has done, what we've learned, what we've become, all of us—yes, I'm sure," Rick answered. Mia returned her gaze to her machete, running her fingers over the flat side of the blade.

"Then all we have to do is just tell them that," Morgan proposed.

"They don't compromise," Rick responded.

"This isn't a compromise," Morgan said. "It's a choice you give them. It's a way out, for them and for us."

"We try and talk to the Saviors, we give up our advantage, our safety," Rick said. "No, we have to come for them before they come for us. We can't leave them alive."

"Where there's life, there's possibility," Morgan said.

"Of them hitting us?" Rick asked.

"We're not trapped in this," Morgan said. "None of you are trapped in this."

"Morgan… they always come back," Rick told him.

"Come back when they're dead, too," Morgan retorted.

"Yeah, we'll stop them. We have before," Rick said with utmost certainty.

"I'm not talking about the walkers," Morgan said.

"Morgan wants to talk to them first," Rick said to the whole group. "I think that would be a mistake, but it's not up to me. I'll talk to the people still at home. I'll discuss it with the people on guard now, too, but who else wants to approach the Saviors, talk to them first?"

"What happened here," Aaron began, causing Mia to look up again, "we won't let that happen again. I won't."

He nodded at Rick before sitting down and Mia turned her gaze back to her machete.

"Looks like it's settled. We know exactly what this is. We don't shy from it, we live. We kill them all. We don't all have to kill, but if people are gonna stay here…" Rick paused as he stepped off the stage and walked towards the doors, "they do have to accept it."

Mia stayed in her seat until the room was empty except for her and Jesus. She continued to stroke the side of her machete, pretending not to notice Jesus staring at her.

"Mia," Jesus said finally.

"Yeah?" She asked without looking up.

"I was going to ask if you're okay, but I think I already know the answer," Jesus said.

"What do you think my answer is?" Mia questioned.

"That you're far from okay," Jesus said. "You're scared of losing somebody else."

"I know people die," Mia said. "It was a part of life before the outbreak and it's an even bigger part of life now, but if it can be avoided then I want to do everything I can to avoid it."

"And walking into a compound full of people who wouldn't mind killing us is the opposite of avoiding it," Jesus concluded.

"I get that your guy—"

"Andy," Jesus said.

"I get that Andy has been there before, but how do we know that this is the only compound of Negan's?" Mia asked, finally looking up from her machete. "How do we know that he'll be there?"

"We don't," Jesus answered. "But odds are that this compound is it."

" _Odds are_ ," Mia repeated quietly.

"That's not good enough?" Jesus asked.

Mia threw him a look. "It's not even close."

"I'm sure Rick would understand if you wanted to stay back," Jesus said.

"I don't want to stay back," Mia retorted. "I need to go. I need to do everything I can to protect my people."

"I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be all right," Jesus told her.

"But you wouldn't lie to me, would you?" Mia asked as she looked at him.

"Not in a million years," Jesus responded, causing Mia to smile weakly.

"I wish we had that long," Mia admitted with a sigh.

"You should tell Rick your concerns," Jesus said.

"It wouldn't make a difference," Mia said.

"You don't think he'd listen?" Jesus asked.

"He'd listen," Mia answered. "It just wouldn't change anything. We need the supplies from Hilltop and in order to get it we need to kill Negan and his men. Nothing's going to stop Rick from doing what needs to be done for this community. That's part of the reason I love him."

A short silence ensued where Jesus stood from his seat and offered a hand to Mia. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. She slipped her machete back into her belt and looked up at Jesus. She let out a deep breath as she dropped her head. Jesus moved closer to Mia and put a hand over hers.

"What is it?"

"I'm scared that I let these people in and now our world is about to come crashing down and I don't know if I can survive that," Mia explained.

"You're stronger than you think," Jesus said. "You survived this much."

"But what if I can't survive what comes next?" Mia asked.

"I think you can, but you got to have faith that you can," Jesus answered.

"I just—I can't keep losing people," Mia said.

"Eventually, it will stop," Jesus said.

"Only when I have no one else to lose," Mia told him. She lifted a hand and rubbed her eyes lightly.

"Come here," Jesus said as he gestured to himself.

Mia hesitated but eventually stepped into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his arms around her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that until Mia pulled away. Jesus pushed a piece of hair out of her face, but his hand lingered on her cheek. They held each other's gaze as Jesus started to lean in. Mia swallowed hard as he leaned in more, placing a hand on his cheek. She used her other hand to push against his chest.

"I'm in love with Rick," Mia whispered. She closed her eyes and tilted her forehead against his, sighing quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Jesus said. "It was my fault."

Mia pressed a kiss to his cheek before walking off the stage and out of the church without looking back.

* * *

Amelia raked her fingers through her hair as she sat on the porch. She had been inside while Andy described the inside of the compound, but went outside once the meeting was over. While the others left, Rick, Michonne, Jesus, and Andy stayed behind. Mia knew she had to talk to Rick about what happened in the church, so she waited for him outside.

"Hey, Mia," Andy said as he walked out of the house. He was halfway down the street by the time that Jesus exited the house.

"Mia," Jesus greeted as he passed her. Amelia stood up and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"We need to talk," Mia told him.

"No, we don't," Jesus said. He slid his arm out from her grasp until they were hand-in-hand. "I like you, Mia. I've never cared about another girl like this in my life, and for some reason, in the short time I've known you, I've come to care about you. You're kind, selfless, and courageous. You're everything I've ever wanted, but I can't have you because you're in love with someone else and I just have to accept it and move on. It'll be hard, but I'll do it… for you."

Mia looked down at their intertwined hands and sighed quietly. She lifted her head and met Jesus' gaze. "I wanted to kiss you in the church. I know that I love Rick, but during the short time I spent with you I forgot. I forgot that I was with him. I forgot that I loved him. You did that, Paul. You made me forget when I didn't think that was possible, when it shouldn't have been possible."

"So, what are you saying?" Jesus asked.

"I'm saying that I care about you, but I _love_ Rick," Mia said.

"I get it," Jesus said. He took a couple steps away from her, but faced her again. "After tomorrow I'm going back to Hilltop. I'll be there if you ever need me."

"Thank you," Mia murmured. Jesus turned and walked away, leaving Mia alone.

She waited another half hour for Rick to leave. He was with Michonne, but quickly sent her away when Mia told him she needed to talk to him in private. They sat on the porch steps and faced each other.

"Is something wrong?" Rick asked as he looked at her.

"I love you, Rick," Mia told him.

"I know. I love you, too," Rick responded.

"I need you to remember that when I tell you what I need to tell you," Mia said.

"Just spit it out, Mia," Rick said.

"Jesus tried to kiss me," Mia revealed. She continued before Rick could get a word in. "We were talking in the church after your speech and—."

"Did you want to kiss him?" Rick asked, cutting her off.

"Yes," Mia answered truthfully.

"Do you like him?"

"Yes," Mia replied.

"Are you in love with him?"

"No," Mia said. "I'm in love with you."

"So, you didn't let him kiss you," Rick said.

"No," Mia said. "Because I love _you_."

"Should I be worried about this?" Rick asked.

"No," Mia said, shaking her head lightly. "Since my mom died, I feel like someone ripped out my stomach and filled the hole with asphalt. I laugh every time I remember I'm never going to talk to her again because it just sounds like the stupidest thing I ever heard. I can't believe it's real, but every time I look at you I feel better. You're my best friend and soul-mate and I love you. Jesus might have found a way into my heart, but you already have it, Rick. I am yours and you are mine and that's final. No man could change that now."

Rick sighed as he rubbed his eyes lightly. He dropped his hand and took Mia's, intertwining their fingers. He looked up at her and smiled weakly. "I love you, Mia, but if there is any chance that you might want to be with Jesus then I should give you the time to figure that out. You gave me time when I was trying to choose between Jessie and you so I'll give you time now."

"I don't need time, Rick," Mia said. "I choose you. I will always choose you."

Rick let out a sigh of relief. "I will always choose you, too."

Mia shut her eyes as Rick leaned in and kissed her. She savored the moment since she didn't know whether or not they'd be having many more after raiding Negan's compound. She wanted to hope for the best, but something deep in her mind was telling her that everything was about to change.

* * *

The next morning, Mia was sitting in the passenger seat of the RV, holding Rick's hand as he drove towards Negan's compound. They decided to stop while they were still pretty far from the compound. Rick and Mia stepped out of the RV after pressing the horn for a little while. They were hoping to draw some walkers closer to the road to give them more choices. They were hoping to find one that resembled Gregory so they could deliver it to Negan's men.

"Aaron, Rosita, you start here. We'll peel off every quarter mile, meet back here in a couple hours," Rick explained as the group gathered towards the front of the RV. "See what we got."

Mia stayed by Rick's side as Father Gabriel joined them. Rick looked at the man. "There's no turning back now."

"I could walk," Gabriel said. "Maybe run a little, maybe a lot. I'm not going anywhere. I wanted to learn and you taught me for a reason."

"Why are you still wearing that?" Rick asked, gesturing towards Gabriel.

"It's still who I was, I think," Gabriel answered. "And it'll be harder for them to see me in the dark."

Mia and Rick laughed before walking away. They went pretty far on foot before breaking off into the woods that surrounded the road. Mia took down several walkers on her own, but none of them had any resemblance to Gregory. She continued to search for a while longer before turning back and meeting up with Rick on the road. They made it back to the RV with time to spare. The others were a little luckier. A couple of them came back with walker heads that had some similar aspects to Gregory. They lined up the heads and Rosita worked on getting the haircut just right. Rick called for a meeting and everyone gathered at the back of the RV.

"We're gonna take a look around, try to get a feel for how many people are in there. We like how it looks, we go in… a couple hours before dawn. The guards outside'll be tired. Everyone inside'll be sleeping. We don't like what we see, we head back, make a new plan. They don't know who we are. We'll keep Jesus in the shadows. This is how we eat. This is how we eat," Rick reminded them. "We roll out at midnight."

Mia joined Rick, Andy, and Jesus in front of the RV once Rick was done speaking with Carol.

"She's done with the hair?" Rick asked. Jesus and Andy nodded while looked down at one of the three walker heads. "What've we got?"

"That one," Jesus said as he pointed to the middle walker head.

"Yeah, that's it," Andy agreed.

"Okay," Mia sighed.

"Though, it's probably good we're doing this at night," Jesus said.

"Something wrong with it?" Rick asked before he kneeled down in front of it.

"The nose," Jesus said. "Gregory's is a different shape."

Rick picked it up and landed several punches against it's nose. He put it back down and glanced over his shoulder at Jesus, Mia, and Andy.

"He fought back," Rick explained. He gestured to Andy. "He broke your hand, right?"

"Guess there's no reason to be subtle about it," Jesus said with a shrug.

Rick stood up and realized that Andy was staring at him. "What?"

"The Saviors, they're scary, but those pricks got nothing on you," Andy said.

Mia let out a breathless laugh and smiled lightly. She picked up the head and stuffed it in the bag. She gave it to Andy before taking Rick's hand. Mia exchanged a weak smile with Jesus and led Rick back to the RV. She pulled him to a stop outside the vehicle and kissed him slowly.

"What was that for?" Rick asked once they parted.

"I just wanted to kiss you," Mia explained with a shrug. "So I did."

Rick lifted a hand and brushed some hair out of her face. His hand lingered against her cheek as he held her gaze. "You think something is going to go wrong tonight, don't you?"

"I'm preparing for the worst," Mia said. "You should, too."

"The worst possible outcome is that everyone we love will die," Rick said. "And the best possible outcome is that we do what we came to do and we all survive."

"Do you honestly think the best outcome is possible?"

"I do," Rick said, nodding. "But I also think the worst is possible."

"So, we just have to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst," Mia said.

"Exactly," Rick replied before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

Once the guards outside were taken care of, Mia and the others made their way into the compound.

"Check the doors," Rick instructed as they fanned out down the halls. "Find the arsenal. We take them out."

Mia stuck with Rick, Dean, Daryl, and Michonne as they approached one of the first doors in the hallway. She aimed her gun towards the door while Rick opened it. When they saw that no one was waiting for them, Rick went in and killed the one man sleeping inside.

They continued on down the hallway, searching for open doors along the way. Whenever they found one, they would go in and kill the sleeping inhabitants. Mia killed a number Saviors as they went, plunging her knife into each of their skulls. They hurried along until the alarm sounded, echoing through the halls. They picked up the pace, staying alert as they ran down the corridors. Rick took out several Saviors with his gun when they tried to run down some stairs.

"Go!" Rick shouted once he was done.

Mia matched the other's pace as they ran down the hall. Rick stopped when they reached a doorway leading into a separate hall. A few shot at them from somewhere far off. Rick tried to take them out, but shots continued to be fired at them. Daryl and Michonne took their place across the hall from Rick, Dean, and Mia and together they managed to take out whoever was shooting at them. When they reached another door, Daryl took out the guy on the other side. They continued to take out Saviors until they met up with the rest of their group. They found their way to a door that led outside and spilled out into the yard. They didn't lower their guns until they were sure the yard was clear.

"Hey," Jesus greeted as the others inspected the cars.

Mia turned to him and offered a small smile. "Hey. Thanks for helping Glenn and Heath in there."

"They would have done the same for me," Jesus said with a weak shrug. He glanced around to see Rick talking with Michonne. "I just wanted to say goodbye before I go. Who knows how long it will be before we see each other again."

Mia nodded understandingly and held out a hand towards him. "Goodbye, Paul."

Jesus gave her a half-smile. "It's Paul now?"

"It is when we're saying goodbye," Mia said as she returned his smile.

Jesus nodded and took her hand, shaking it shortly. "Goodbye, Amelia."

"Be safe," she said as he pulled on his jacket.

"You, too. And don't forget that I'll be at the Hilltop if you ever need me," he told her and Mia nodded. He held her gaze for another few seconds before turning and walking off.

Mia took a deep breath and let it out quickly. She raked a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face.

"What did Jesus say?"

Mia looked up to see Rick standing a few feet away from her. She pursed her lips lightly as she stepped towards him. "He just wanted to say goodbye."

"Did you tell him thank you for us?" Rick asked.

"I did," Mia said with a nod.

"So, are you upset he's going back to Hilltop?"

"No," Mia said.

"You should say goodbye to Tara, Dean, and Heath before they take off," Rick said. "They'll be gone for two weeks after all."

"You're right," Mia sighed. She kissed him before she went off to do what he said. Once she was done, Tara, Dean, and Heath got into their car and drove off through the gates. Mia bit her lip nervously as she watched the car disappear.

"What's up with you?" Daryl asked as he came to stand next to her.

"Negan wasn't in there," Mia stated quietly.

"How do you know that?" Daryl questioned.

She tore her eyes from the last spot she saw the car and looked over at him. "Don't tell Rick."

"How do you know he wasn't in there?" Daryl repeated as he stepped closer to her.

"Promise me you won't tell Rick," Mia said as they held each other's gaze.

"I promise," Daryl said eventually. "Now, tell me how you knew."

"I've met him before. I've talked to him face to face and he wasn't in there," Mia admitted.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Because I didn't think it was important," Mia explained. "What happened with Negan was in the past and I didn't want to dig it up again."

"I won't tell Rick, but you should or he's going to go on thinking we killed him," Daryl told her.

Mia remained silent, but nodded weakly. Daryl sighed before we walked off. She stayed cemented in her spot until she heard an engine roar to life. She spun around to see a man take off on Daryl's old motorcycle into the yard.

"Son of a bitch!" Daryl shouted.

Rosita shot the man off the motorcycle and Daryl was quick to tackle him back to the ground when he tried to stand up. He punched him several times before the others caught up to him.

"Where'd you get the bike?" He asked the man.

Rick stepped up and pointed a gun at the man's head.

"Just do it!" The man shouted. "Like you did everyone else, right?!"

"Lower your gun, prick," a female's voice reached their ears suddenly. "You, with the Colt Python. All of you lower your weapons right now."

Daryl stood up and took out his gun and pointed it at the man on the ground. Rick picked up the walkie-talkie on the ground beside him and raised it to his lips. "Come on out. Let's talk."

"We're not coming out, but we will talk," the lady said. "We've got a Carol and a Maggie. I'm thinking that's something you want to chat about."

Mia sighed as she screwed her eyes shut. She knew it couldn't have been that easy.

"Now, we're going to work this out right now. And it's going to go our way," the woman said.

"Get him up," Rick said to Daryl and Glenn. They picked up the man and Glenn put a gun to his head.

"You can see we have one of yours," Rick spoke into the walkie-talkie. "We'll trade."

"I'm listening," the woman responded.

"First I want to talk to Maggie and Carol, make sure they're all right," Rick said.

There was a short silence before they heard Carol's voice.

"Rick, it's Carol. I'm fine, but—"

"Rick, it's Maggie. We're both okay. We'll figure thi—"

"You have your proof," the woman said. "Let's talk."

"This is the deal right here," Rick said. "Let 'em go, you can have your guy back and live."

"Two for one, that's not much of a trade."

"You don't have another choice or you would've done something about it already."

Mia stepped towards Rick and grabbed his hand. He glanced over his shoulder at her and squeezed her hand. He lifted the walkie-talkie to his lips again.

"Look, I know you're talking it over. It's a fair trade. Just come out, we do this, we all walk away," Rick said. "Do we have a deal?"

"I'll get back to you," the woman responded.

Mia stepped closer to Rick. "We should fan out and see if we can find tracks."

"Good idea," Rick said. He turned around to the rest of the group. "Spread out around the compound. Look for any signs of people."

They did as he said and moved out around the compound in groups of two. Mia went with Daryl while Rick went with Michonne. She knew she had to tell him about Negan, but she didn't know how she was supposed to explain why she kept it from him for so long.

"You gonna tell him?" Daryl asked as they made their way through the greenery outside the fence, searching for tracks.

"Yeah," Mia said. "I just have to figure out how."

"Just tell him, plain and simple," Daryl said.

"It's not that easy," Mia told him. "I kept this from him for months."

"It's easy to see that he cares about you a lot," Daryl said. "He'll understand."

"I don't know that he will," Mia said.

"Well, either way, you gotta tell him."

"I know," Mia sighed. "I will."

"Hold up," Daryl said as he put up a hand. Mia came up behind him and looked over his shoulder.

"Did you find tracks?"

"Yeah," Daryl said and pointed to the ground. "Several people gathered here not too long ago."

"I'll get the others," Mia said before whistling loudly.

The rest of the group gathered near the spot Daryl found the tracks.

"What do we do?" Glenn asked. Mia let out a quiet sigh and glanced over her shoulder at Daryl. He was still trying to figure out which way the tracks went.

"We go after them," Mia said when she looked back at Glenn and the rest of the group. "We have to find them before those people make their choice."

"What if they decide to trade?" Glenn asked.

"Then we'll be nearby," Rick said.

"They might decide to do the trade, but if they don't then we need to find them before they can hurt Maggie or Carol," Mia explained.

"She's right," Rick said. "We need to find them."

"I got a trail," Daryl said suddenly.

"Let's go," Rick said before leading the rest of their group after Daryl. They followed him for a while through the woods until they reached a road that stretched behind the compound.

"Hold up," Mia said, making everyone stop and turn towards her. "We should see where their minds are at; see how much time we have."

Rick took the walkie-talkie and raised it to his mouth. "Have you thought about it? Talk to me."

"You weren't listening," the woman said after a short silence. "I said I'd contact you."

"Would it make a difference if I said I was sorry about that?" Rick asked.

"What do you think?"

"I think we're gonna make the trade, so tell me where."

"We haven't agreed to that."

"You will."

"You know what? I'm not so sure. We'd be taking most of the risk, not getting much in the way of a reward."

"The other option won't work out for you."

"We'll take our chances."

The line went dead after that.

"We have to find them," Glenn said.

"We will," Rick and Mia said at the same time.

"There are car tracks heading that way," Daryl said as he pointed down the street.

"Let's get some of those cars and head out," Rick said.

They did as he said, piling into several cars before starting out the way Daryl said the Saviors went. They went slow, to make sure they didn't lose the trail, but made good time.

"Asshole, are you there?" The woman's voice came over the radio.

"I'm here," Rick said as he shared a look with Mia.

"We've thought about it. We want to make the trade," the woman said.

"That's good," Rick said.

"There's a large field with a sign that says 'God is dead' about two miles down I-66. Good visibility in all directions," the woman explained.

"We'll meet you there. 10 minutes?" Rick asked.

"10 minutes," the woman said.

"We can't be far," Mia said once Rick was done. "There was no static in the background."

"We still need to be careful not to lose the trail," Rick said. He looked at Mia and Daryl.

"We won't," Daryl said. "We'll find them before those pricks can do anything stupid."

"They'll get what's coming to them," Mia said.

They continued on, following the car tracks the Saviors left behind. Soon enough they reached a slaughterhouse and prepared to storm the building. Before they could, the door slid open to reveal Maggie and Carol.

"Maggie," Glenn said as he went to hug her.

"You okay?" Daryl asked Carol. "We got your trail. You start a fire?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"Hey," Daryl said as he lifted her chin. "You good?"

"No," Carol said.

"Come here," Daryl said before pulling her into a hug.

"They're dead. They're all dead, the ones that took us," Maggie said. "They're all dead."

"Hey, are you okay?" Glenn asked.

"I just… I can't anymore," Maggie said.

"It's okay," Glenn said as he hugged her again.

"Your friends are dead," Rick told the man from the compound. "No one's coming for you. So, you might as well talk."

"Let him burn," Daryl said.

"I'm gonna ask you one more time, how'd you get the bike?" Rick asked.

"We found it," the man said.

"Like hell you did," Daryl retorted.

"We found it," the man repeated.

"Was Negan in that building last night or was he here?" Rick asked.

"Both," the man said. He turned to Rick. "I'm Negan, shithead. There's a whole world of fun we can talk about, so let's have a chat."

Rick took a step back. "I'm sorry it had to come to this."

Mia flinched when Rick shot the man in the head.

* * *

Mia leaned against one of the cars as the rest of the group started to pile into the other cars. She stared at the gun she held in both of her hands.

"Mia," Daryl said as he joined her. "You tell him or I will."

She looked at him and sighed. "I'm going to tell him."

"Good," Daryl said. He started to walk away, but turned back after a couple steps. "He'll understand whatever your reason is for not telling him. He loves you."

Mia nodded and dropped her head. "I hope you're right."

"Most of the time I am," Daryl said before walking away.

"What was that about?" Rick asked as he joined her by the car.

"He was just giving me some advice," Mia explained.

"About what?"

"It's not important," Mia said. "I have to tell you something, though."

"Is it about Jesus?" Rick asked. "Cause I'm just too tired to deal with that right now."

"It's not about Jesus," Mia said. She took a deep breath and let it out quietly. "It's about Negan."

Rick looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"That man in there," Mia said as she gestured to the slaughterhouse. "That wasn't Negan."

"How do you know that?" Rick asked. He continued when Mia didn't respond. "How do you know what he looks like?"

Mia pressed her lips into a thin line as she looked up at Rick. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Because I knew Negan."

 **A/N:** Now, I know that Jesus is gay in the comic books, but I love his character on the show so much that I decided that my OC should like him too. This is still a Rick/Mia story so don't worry about a possible Jesus/Mia storyline... yet. Please don't forget to follow/favorite/review! Thank you for reading!


	15. Chapter 12

Set during 6x15 "East", 6x16 "Last Day on Earth", and 7x01 "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be."

 _I don't want to be touched by the fear in your eyes_

 _I don't want to be left for my demons to find_

 _When the leaves are gone and the beating sun_

 _Brings the world bang drums_

 _Tell me you will hold me in the golden after life_

 _Yeah, you_

 _You don't have to die alone tonight_

" _Sacrifice" – Zella Day_

 **Flashbacks will be in italics**

Chapter 12 – You Don't Have to Die Alone Tonight

" _How did you know him?" Rick repeated as he held Mia's gaze._

" _The Outcasts had the same deal with the Saviors as the Hilltop. They gave them half of everything in exchange for protection and the promise that they wouldn't attack us. A few drops were light so the Saviors and Negan came and killed three of our people. For some reason, I caught his eye. He requested to see me in private and if I turned it down he said he would kill someone else. So, I talked to him," Mia explained as she leaned against the car. Rick stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. "We talked for a while about a lot of things, but it didn't change what he did or who he was. He came back the next week and the week after that and we talked privately each time. Then I left the Outcasts and Matt was killed and I thought that was the end of it."_

" _The end of it?" Rick asked. "You two just talked?"_

" _We just talked," Mia told him. "Oddly enough, that's all he wanted."_

" _Mia," Rick said, "why didn't you tell me sooner?"_

" _Until last night, I didn't think it would have made a difference," Mia said. "Jesus already told you everything I knew about the Saviors."_

" _How big were the groups that came to your camp?"_

" _15 at the most," Mia answered. "I knew there was more, but Negan never told me how many or where his base was. When Andy told us about the satellite station I thought that's got to be it. It has to be where Negan lives."_

" _So, Negan's still out there," Rick sighed._

" _He must be."_

" _We'll have to tell everyone when we get back," Rick said. "We should also set up more watches just to be safe."_

 _He started to walk around the front of the car, but Mia grabbed his arm to stop him. "Rick, I've seen what some of his people can do and… trust me when I say that we've just burned a bridge we shouldn't have."_

" _Why didn't you say something before?"_

" _Because you wanted to do this and nothing, not even me, was going to stop you," Mia said._

" _You should've said something," Rick said before he rounded the truck and got into the driver's side._

" _I'm sorry," Mia said even though she knew he couldn't hear her._

* * *

Thud. Amelia Monroe woke up quite startled to find herself lying on the floor. She rolled onto her back as her heart rate began to settle. Her eyes landed on the ceiling and she let out a heavy sigh.

"You okay?"

Mia turned her head to see Rick peering over the side of the bed. She nodded before sitting up.

"Yeah," Mia said. "I just… fell."

She stood up and sat on the bed beside him. Rick placed a hand on her thigh as he laid back. "Was it a nightmare?"

"No," Mia lied easily. She didn't want to burden him anymore than she already had.

"What are you doing today?" Rick asked as he sat up beside her.

"Maggie wanted me and Michonne to help put up more bins and watch points," Mia said.

"Do you have to go right now?"

"Maggie has us on a schedule and I am not going to be the one to ruin that," Mia told him with a smirk.

"Yeah," Rick sighed. "Let's not piss her off."

"She's worried about an attack so she's a little on edge," Mia said.

"When they come, we'll end it, the whole thing," Rick said. "This won't be like before. We're putting everything in place and these people know what to do now. The world is ours, and we know how to take it. Everything we need is right here inside these walls. We're not losing any of it again. I'm not."

"No, you're not," Mia agreed. "We're not."

Mia stood and started getting dressed. She glanced over her shoulder at Rick once she was done.

Mia sighed silently and sat down beside him. "Rick?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Kiss me," she told him.

Rick smiled before closing the distance between them and kissing her softly. Mia melted into him and Rick pulled her closer, running one of his hands through her hair. The other gripped her waist while his hand tangled in her hair trailed softly down her back.

"I love you," Mia said against his lips.

"I love you, too," Rick responded. He kissed her again, quicker this time before smiling at her. "Now, get out of here before Maggie comes looking for you."

"Will do, Sheriff," Mia said, smirking.

* * *

"We'll have these, but we should hide a few. That way, we can find them, but strangers can't," Maggie said as Michonne and Amelia joined her and Glenn. "In case anyone gets in."

"They won't," Glenn said.

They turned around when an engine roared in the distance. Mia sighed when she saw Daryl riding towards the front gate on his motorcycle.

"Oh, no," Michonne said.

"What the hell is he doing?" Glenn asked.

"Something he shouldn't," Michonne said before running off towards Daryl.

"We gotta stop him," Glenn said as he grabbed a riffle from the bin and his jacket off the cart.

Mia and Maggie followed him to the van and watched as he and Michonne got into the van.

"You coming?" Glenn asked Mia.

"Uh..." Mia sighed as she looked at Maggie. "Tell Rick that I went to find Daryl. I should be back soon."

"Okay," Maggie said as Mia got into the van.

Glenn started to drive out of the community, but Abraham jumped in front of the car.

"Make room for my freckled ass!" He demanded.

"No," Rosita said as she came up behind him. "Cover my watch. You stay."

"Hey," Glenn said. "We should keep numbers here."

"I know where Daryl's going," Rosita said before getting into the back of the van.

* * *

"That's where she died," Rosita murmured as Mia and Glenn walked up behind her. Michonne went to take care of a walker on the side of the tracks.

"All right, so he had to start from here," Glenn said.

"He did," Michonne said. Mia looked over to see Daryl's bike under some branches.

"Which way did Dwight run?" Glenn asked.

Mia shared a look with him when Rosita didn't respond. She stepped towards her. "Rosita?"

"We should let him do this," Rosita said.

"But he doesn't know what he's doing. We don't," Glenn told her. "Maybe him trying this makes you feel better about it right now. Maybe they keep knowing more about us than we know about them. Or maybe Daryl's gonna get himself killed. Which way did Dwight run?"

Rosita motioned behind Glenn and Mia after a moment of hesitation. They followed her across the field behind them and eventually saw Daryl in the distance. They stopped short when he shot an arrow into the tree beside Rosita.

"Watch the hell out, asshole," Rosita said as they walked towards him

"I did. You shouldn't have come," Daryl said. He grabbed arrow out of Rosita's hand and started to walk away.

"You shouldn't have left," Michonne said.

"When I split off from Sasha and Abraham, he was out there in the woods, in that burned-out forest with them girls, put a gun to my head, tied me up," Daryl explained. "I even tried to help him."

"So, you think it's your fault?" Glenn asked.

"Yeah, I know it is," Daryl answered. "I'm gonna go do what I should've done before."

"What, for her?" Glenn asked. "She's gone, man. You're doing this for you."

"Man, I don't give a shit," Daryl muttered.

"Daryl… we need to get back there and figure this out from home," Glenn said. "Our home. We need you, and everyone back there needs us right now. It's—it's gonna go wrong out here."

"We'll square it," Michonne said. "I will. I promise you. Just come back."

Daryl looked between the four of them and shook his head. "I can't."

"Daryl, if you go out there and something happens back at home while you're gone, you'll never forgive yourself," Mia said before he could get too far.

"I'll never forgive myself if I don't do this," Daryl said and walked away.

"Daryl," Glenn tried.

"Man, I can't!" Daryl shouted.

"I can't either," Rosita said and went after Daryl.

"I need to get back," Mia said as she watched Rosita and Daryl disappear between the trees.

" _We_ need to get back," Michonne corrected politely.

"Let's go," Glenn said and walked off in the opposite direction of Daryl and Rosita.

Mia and Michonne followed closely behind him as they made their way back to the train tracks.

"Thing is, those men could be back in Alexandria right now," Glenn said as they walked.

"If they are, they're dead," Michonne said.

"I hope not. We need them alive. We need to find out more," Glenn said.

"Yeah, we do," Michonne sighed.

They slowed to a stop as they reached a small pond.

"We just got stuck with each other. We were lucky. We figured it all out together. It felt like we did. After everything, we did. The world's not what we thought it was," Glenn explained. "Hilltop, the Saviors, it's bigger."

"You knew Negan," Glenn said, turning to Mia. "What was he like?"

"He was…" Mia paused, trying to think of the right words, "capable of doing very terrible things without allowing it affect him. He was… _is_ a charismatic, smart, ferocious, frightening, oddly friendly sociopath that is a leader and a killer. Negan is a brilliant strategist. He's pure, dangerous, murderous, and yet still has both discipline and a code."

"Do you think we should have attacked the compound?" Michonne asked.

"Honestly, I don't think it was—"

Mia was cut off by the sound of a whistle. She raised her gun at the same time as Glenn and searched the surrounding woods. She stiffened at the sight of a man facing her with a gun. There was another whistle and Mia laid eyes on another man. She spotted several more before a man with a burnt face stepped out from behind a tree with a gun in his hand.

"Hi," he said.

Mia sighed when Glenn lowered his gun and followed in suit a moment later. They didn't stand a chance against the number of Saviors in the forest. They handed over their weapons when the Saviors asked and were quickly tied up and gagged. Mia straightened up when she caught sight of Daryl and Rosita through the trees. She knew Dwight and some of the other Saviors had gone off to set up a perimeter so it couldn't be safe. She shook her head to try to tell them that, but Daryl just lifted a finger to his lips, motioning for them to be quiet. Mia turned her head when she heard Glenn trying to shout through is gag. She looked back to Daryl and Rosita just in time to see Dwight and another Savior sneak up behind them. She flinched noticeably when Dwight shot Daryl through the shoulder.

The Saviors took Rosita and Daryl and tied them up beside Mia, Glenn, and Michonne. Mia tried to get a good look at Daryl's wound, but was hindered by her arms being bound behind her back. She started to shout at the nearest Savior until he took out her gag.

"Please let me check his wound," Mia said as she nodded towards Daryl.

"No," the man said and started to put the gag back.

She turned her head out of his reach. "Negan won't be happy if you guys let him bleed out."

Dwight stepped up behind the man and tapped his shoulder. The man stood up and walked away while Dwight kneeled in front of Mia. "How do you know what Negan would like or dislike?"

Mia exchanged a look with Michonne before turning back to Dwight. "Because I know him."

"Bullshit," Dwight chuckled.

"Fine. Call bullshit," Mia said. "But are you really willing to risk it?"

Dwight watched her for a few moments before smiling wide. "Turn around."

Mia obliged and rubbed her wrists once Dwight untied her. She shuffled on her knees until she was in front of Daryl and moved his shirt to the side. She cleaned away the blood with a cloth that one of the Saviors handed her and inspected the bullet wound. She bit her lip nervously when she saw that it was still bleeding steadily. She took the gag out of Daryl's mouth.

"I need to cauterize the wound," Mia told Daryl.

"Just do it," Daryl said. "I can handle it."

"I know," Mia sighed. "But I don't have…"

"What?" Daryl asked.

"I have an idea, but it's gonna be painful," Mia explained.

"I can take it," Daryl muttered.

"I know you can," Mia said as she cleaned some blood off his face. She looked up at Dwight and sighed. "I need a bullet."

"Hell no," Dwight said.

"I'm not asking for a gun to fire it with," Mia said as she cocked her head to the side slightly. "I just need the bullet without the bottom on it. That's it. Well, that and a match."

"A bullet and a match," Dwight repeated.

"Are you going to give it to me or are we back to letting him bleed out?" Mia asked.

Dwight pulled out his handgun and took out the magazine. He dumped one bullet into his hand and pried off the bottom of it with a knife. He gave it to Mia and got a box of matches from a fellow Savior, giving that to Mia as well.

"Thank you," Mia said reluctantly. She looked to Daryl and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Daryl said.

"Okay," Mia said before instructing him to lie down.

She poured half of the gunpowder onto the wound. She took the match, lit it, and put it to the gunpowder. It ignited and Daryl let out a pain-fueled groan as it burned. Mia put a towel over the cauterized wound.

"Now I have to do the back," Mia said once Daryl quieted down.

"Damn," Daryl murmured.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Daryl said. "Just get it over with."

He turned over and Mia repeated the process on the entry wound. Once she was done, she tossed the bullet and matches aside. She cleaned up the rest of the blood and handed the box of matches back to Dwight.

"Thank you," Mia said as she sat back down between Glenn and Michonne.

"Negan better know who you are," Dwight told her. He got behind her and started to tie up her hands.

"He does," Mia said before he gagged her again.

"He better," Dwight said.

* * *

"Take off your jacket," Dwight said when he stepped in front of Amelia. He had taken off her gag and untied her hands before taking her out of the van.

"What?" Mia asked.

"Take it off, now," Dwight repeated.

"Why?"

"Because we need it," he said.

Mia clenched her jaw as she pulled her jacket off and handed it to Dwight. She had watched as he cut a piece of Michonne's hair. She had no idea why they needed it, but she was in no place to ask questions.

"Negan wants to talk to you," Dwight said once he handed off her jacket to someone else.

Mia did a double take. "What?"

"He wants to talk to you," Dwight repeated.

"Now?" Mia asked.

"Now," Dwight said. "Come on."

"What about—"

"They'll be there when you get back," Dwight said and took her by the arm. She glanced over shoulder at the others as he led her away.

"Where are we?" Mia questioned. She could see they were in a clearing in the woods, but she couldn't see very far beyond the tree line.

"You don't have to know," Dwight answered.

Mia tried to take a calming breath, but it didn't work as well as she wanted it to. Dwight led her across the clearing and her breath hitched when she saw Negan sitting on the bed of a truck.

"Amelia Monroe," Negan said as she approached him.

"Negan," Mia said quietly.

"What, you scared?" Negan asked as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Of you, no," Mia answered.

"Well, you look scared," Negan told her.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again, that's all," Mia said.

"Yeah, I thought that, too," he said. "But I was pleasantly surprised when Dwight came to me and told me that he'd found you in the woods with some people from Alexandria."

"I'm from Alexandria," Mia said.

"I figured," Negan responded with a smirk. "I heard that you talked Dwight into letting you cauterize some wounds on one of your friends."

"I thought… I _knew_ you would want him alive for whatever you have planned," Mia explained.

"You were right," Negan said.

"And I'm guessing you're not going to tell me what it is you have planned," Mia added quickly.

"Bingo," Negan said with a smirk. He let a few moments of silence pass between them before continuing. "So, tell me about your life now."

"I don't… Negan, with all due respect, that's none of your business," Mia said. "It hasn't been your business since I left the Outcasts."

"Maybe you'd be more inclined to tell me if I threatened to take one of your friends out of the back of that van and cut their fucking arm off," Negan told her.

Mia pursed her lips as she let out a deep breath. "I found my family. Of course, now they're all dead except for my brother Spencer."

"That's a shame. I had my money on Aiden," Negan said.

Mia laughed out loud before she could stop herself. "You haven't changed one bit. You're still an unrelenting jackass."

"And you're still the only person who would say that to my face," Negan said as he stood up from the truck bed and stepped towards her. She stepped back on instinct. "That's why I like you so much, Amelia. So, who did you have your money on?"

"They were my brothers, Negan. I just wanted them alive," Mia said.

Negan stepped towards her again and she fought the urge to step back. "We don't always get what we want."

"No shit," Mia sighed.

"But you know what I want?" Negan asked quietly.

"What?"

"You," Negan whispered. "I want you to come live with me at the Sanctuary."

"I met someone in Alexandria so even if I sustained major brain damage and forgot all the horrible things you've done I still wouldn't go with you," Mia said.

"Do you love him?"

"Yes," Mia answered hesitantly.

"What's his name?" Negan questioned.

"I can't tell you that," Mia said.

"I could make you," Negan said.

"But you won't," Mia told him.

"And why's that?"

"Because I'm asking you not to," Mia said. She dropped her head and sighed quietly. "Can I go back to the van now?"

"Yeah," Negan said. "It was nice catching up with you, Amelia. I'll see you again really soon."

"Thanks," Mia responded. Dwight came over and took her by the arm, leading her back to the car. He opened the back door and helped her inside. "I told you I knew him."

"You got lucky," Dwight said. "Luck runs out."

Mia sat back against the side of the van as Dwight closed the door.

* * *

Daryl leaned against Mia as they sat in the back of the van, waiting for something to happen. They could hear muffled voices outside, but they couldn't make out anything in particular. Mia bit her lip when she felt Daryl's forehead. He was burning up, probably from the initial blood loss.

Suddenly the doors opened, revealing Dwight.

"Come on," he said as he and another Savior pulled them out of the car. "You got people to meet."

Mia jumped out of the back of the van, but stopped short when she saw Rick, Carl, Sasha, Eugene, Maggie, Aaron, and Abraham lined up in the middle of the clearing. It was dark out by then, but there were plenty of cars with their headlights on, lighting up the clearing.

"Mia?" Rick asked when they met each other's gaze. She shook her head lightly, knowing she should have suspected this. Dwight forced her to the ground so she was on her knees beside Abraham.

"Maggie?" Glenn said after he was dropped on the floor.

"On your knees!" Dwight demanded.

"All right! We got a full boat. Let's meet the man," one of the Saviors said. He backed towards the RV and smacked the spot beside the door.

Mia inhaled slowly as she waited for the door to open. She trained her gaze on the floor when it finally did.

"Pissing our pants yet?"

She squeezed her eyes shut when she recognized Negan's voice.

"Boy, do I have a feeling we're getting close," Negan said. Mia looked up to see him walk in front of her people. "It's gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon. Which one of you pricks is the leader?"

"It's this one," a Savior said as he pointed at Rick. "He's the guy."

Negan came to a stop in front of Rick and placed his bat on his shoulder. "Hi. You're Rick, right? I'm Negan, and I do not appreciate you killing my men. Also, when I sent my people to kill your people for killing my people, you killed more of my people. Not cool. Not fucking cool. You have no fucking idea how not fucking cool that shit is. But I think you're gonna be up to speed shortly. Yeah. You are so gonna regret crossing me in a few minutes. Fuck, yeah are. You see, Rick, whatever you do, no matter fucking what, you don't mess with the new world order. And the new world order is this, and it's really very simple. So, even if you're fucking stupid, which you very may well be, you can understand it. You ready? Here goes, pay attention."

Mia pursed her lips when Negan dropped his bat from his shoulder and pointed it at Rick. "Give me your shit… or I will kill you."

Negan smiled wide as he squared his shoulders. He started to walk the line, gesturing with his bat. "Today was career day. We invested a lot so you would know who I am and what I can do. You work for me now. You have shit, you give it to me. That's your job. Now, I know that is a mighty big, nasty pill to swallow, but swallow it you most certainly motherfucking will."

Rick stared up at Negan when he stopped in front of him. "You ruled the roost. You built something. You thought you were safe. I get it. But the word is out. You are not safe. Not even fucking close. In fact, you are fucked, more fucked if you don't do what I want. And what I want is half your shit. And if that's too much, you can make, find, or steal more, and it'll even out sooner or later. This is your way of life now. The more you fight back, the harder it will be."

"So, if someone knocks on your door... you fucking let us in. We own that fucking door. You try to fucking stop us and we will fucking knock that fucker down. You understand?" Negan asked. He leaned down and placed a hand to his ear. "What, no answer? You don't really think that you were gonna get through this without being punished, now, did you? I don't want to kill you people. Just want to make that clear from the get-go. I want you to work for me. You can't do that if you're fucking dead, now, can you? I'm not growing a garden. But you killed my people, a whole fucking damn shit load of them. More than I'm comfortable with. And for that, for that you're gonna fucking pay. So, now… I'm gonna beat the holy fuck fucking fuckety fuck outta one of you."

Negan transferred his bat to his other hand and swung it down in front of Rick. "This—this is Lucille, and she is awesome. All this—all this is just so we can pick out which one of you gets the honor."

Negan inhaled sharply as he walked in front of Abraham. Mia let out a heavy breath when Abraham sat up straight, holding Negan's gaze. He rubbed his beard. "Huh. I gotta shave this shit."

Mia watched as Negan strode in front of Carl. Her eyes began to sting with the threat of tears. "You got one of our guns."

He kneeled down. "Whoa. Yeah. You got a lot of our guns. Shit, kid, lighten up. At least cry a little."

He laughed shortly before standing up and placing the gun he was holding into the front of his pants. He cleared his throat as he strolled down the line, stopping in front of Maggie. "Jesus. You look fucking shitty. I should just put you out of your misery right now."

"No! No!" Glenn shouted as he stood and tried to charge Negan. Mia shut her eyes and let out a rugged breath when Dwight took him down and punched him several times.

"Stop it!" Maggie pleaded.

"God—" Glenn groaned as Dwight placed the crossbow to his head.

Negan scratched his face as he faced away from the line. "Nope. Nope, get him back in line."

"No. No. No," Glenn repeated as he was dragged back into line. He yelled as a sob escaped his mouth and got back to his knees. "Don't. Don't."

Negan smiled wide as he stared back at Glenn, chuckling softly. "All right, listen. Don't any of you do that again. I will shut that shit down, no exceptions. First one's free. It's an emotional moment, I get it."

He came to stand in front of Rick again. "Sucks, don't it? The moment you realize you don't know shit."

Mia dropped her head when he gestured from Rick to Carl, her eyes brimming with tears. "This is your kid, right? This is definitely your kid."

"Just stop this!" Rick demanded.

"Hey!" Negan shouted. "Do not make me kill the little future serial killer. Don't make it easy on me. I gotta pick somebody. Everybody's at the table waiting for me to order."

Mia tried to put a strong face when Negan walked in front of her, but couldn't keep the uneasiness from creeping into her heart. He gestured to one of his Saviors and back to Mia. "Get her to her feet."

Someone came up behind her and picked her up from under her arms. Once Mia was on her feet, she yanked away from them. Negan laughed as she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, holding his gaze. She glanced over her shoulder at her family when he took her by the arm and pulled her towards the R.V. He slowed to a stop a few feet from it. He turned her around and gathered her hands behind her back. Mia could feel the cold metal handcuffs as Negan placed them on each of her wrists before spinning her around to face him. He pointed to another Savior before gesturing back to Mia.

"Make sure she doesn't move a muscle," Negan instructed and pushed Mia to her knees.

"No!" Rick shouted from his spot. Mia looked up at him and shook her head, silently begging him to stop. She felt a tear drop onto her cheek and roll down her face when she met Rick's gaze. "It can be me! Please! Kill me and spare her."

Negan raised an eyebrow at Rick before turning his attention back to Mia. He was smirking uncontrollably. "That's him, ain't it? He's the fucking one?"

Mia clenched her jaw, refusing to speak, but she knew her tears said it all.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes," Negan said as he motioned from Mia to Rick. "This old fucking geezer got his hooks in you, didn't he? He might be dead in a minute so it might not even fucking matter now."

Negan walked away from Mia and turned to face her family after he let out a chuckle. He whistled a slow tune as he walked down the line. "I simply cannot decide."

Mia tried to test the strength of her handcuffs by pulling on them until they bit into her skin, hoping that they would break somehow. Negan smiled again. "I got an idea."

He came to stand in front of Rick and used his bat to point at him. "Eenie…"

Negan stepped in front of Maggie. "Meenie…" He moved in front of Abraham. "Miney…" He stood in front of Michonne. "Mo…"

He continued up and down the line as he completed the rhyme, stopping in front of each person.

"catch… a… tiger… by… his toe. If… he hollers… let him go. My mother… told me… to pick the very best one… and you… are… it."

Mia squeezed her eyes shut when she saw who he had settled on, a couple of tears rolling steadily down her face. She let out a shaky breath and pulled at her cuffs as hard as she could. The metal bit into her wrists and she could feel a thick, sticky liquid run down her hands. She knew it was blood, but she continued to tug on them anyways. She began praying for some kind of miracle to stop Negan.

"Anybody moves, anybody says anything, cut the boy's other eye out and feed it to his father and then we'll start," Negan instructed and Mia let it sink in that there was nothing on earth that was going to stop him now. "You can breathe, you can blink, you can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doing that."

Mia looked away when Negan slammed Lucille down on Abraham's head. She could hear someone cry out and inhaled sharply. A part of her wanted to try to stop Negan herself, but she remembered what he had said after Glenn's outburst. There was no telling what he would do to the people she loved if she tried something.

"Look at that," Negan said, causing Mia to glance up. She bit into her lip harder than she meant to when she saw Abraham's head wound. Blood began spilling onto his forehead as he straightened his back. "Taking it like a champ!"

"Suck… my… nuts," Abraham told him while the blood continued down his face. Mia knew he was in pain, but he didn't show it.

Negan cocked Lucille over his head and smashed it on top of Abraham's head over and over again, not letting up until he let out a deep chuckle.

"Did you hear that?" Negan asked no one in particular. "He said, 'suck my nuts!' Phew…"

He laughed again before beating what was left of Abraham's head with his bat. Mia flinched every time she heard a blow land, her cheeks moist with the few tears that had broken free. She was praying to anybody who would listen for Negan to stop his rampage after Abraham, but she knew there was a chance that he was far from done.

Mia sniffled quietly when Negan let out another laugh. "Oh, my goodness! Look at this! You guys, look at my dirty girl!"

Negan walked in front of Rosita and pushed a bloody Lucille in front of her face. Even from her spot by the R.V, Mia could see that each member of her family was having a hard time dealing with what they had just witnessed. Mia hoped that her people had enough patience in them to stop them from retaliating.

"Sweetheart, lay your eyes on this," Negan said as he held out his bat. When Rosita refused to look at it, he glanced to where Abraham's body was laying. "Oh, damn. Were you together? That sucks. But if you were, you should know there's a reason for all this. Red—and hell, he was, is, and will ever be red—he just took one or six or seven for the team! So, take… a damn look. Take a damn look!"

"No!" Mia shouted when Daryl shot up from his spot and punched Negan in the face. But it was too late. The damage was done. All Amelia could do now was sit and wait for the other shoe to drop. She could only hope that Negan wouldn't keep his word… even though she knew he would. They were going to pay the price.

"No! Oh, no," Negan said as he pointed his bat to Rick, who had cried out as well. Daryl was being held to the ground by a couple of Saviors and Dwight as Negan walked back to him, laughing softly. Mia pulled on her handcuffs. "That? Oh, my! That… is a fucking no-no. The whole thing—not one bit of that shit flies here."

Dwight rushed up to Negan, who was kneeling beside Daryl, and pointed the crossbow he had stolen from him at his head. Mia's only consolation was that Daryl would go quickly if Negan allowed Dwight to kill him.

"Do you want me to do it?" Dwight asked. "Right here."

Negan grabbed a chunk of Daryl's hair and pulled his head back. "No… you don't get to kill them. Not until you try a little."

Dwight and the other Saviors picked Daryl up and dragged him back to the lineup. Negan stood and sighed. "Anyway, that's not how it works. Now, I already fucking told you people—the first one's free, then—what'd I say? I said I would shut that shit down! No exceptions."

Negan came to stand at the end of the lineup in front of Glenn and Rosita. "Now, I don't know what kind of lying assholes you've been dealing with… but I'm a man of my word. First impressions are fucking important. I need you to know me. So…" Negan paused as he gripped Lucille with both hands "…back to it."

Mia gasped when Negan brought Lucille down on Glenn's head twice. She could hear Maggie scream and Glenn groan and gasp as he tried to speak. Blood was running down his face and his eye was bulging out of it's socket when he sat up.

"Buddy, you still there?" Negan asked as Glenn gasped and stuttered. He was bent over, holding his bat behind his back. "I just don't know. It seems like you're trying to speak, but you just took a hell of a hit. I just popped your skull so hard, your eyeball just popped out, and it is gross as shit!"

"Maggie, I'll find you," Glenn said as well as he could. Maggie sobbed in response, making Mia screw her eyes shut.

Negan stood up straight and glanced at the rest of the group. "Oh. Oh, hell. I can see this is hard on you guys. I am sorry. I truly am. But I did say it. No exceptions!"

Mia doubled over, squeezing her eyes shut, when Negan swung the bat at Glenn's head as if he was playing baseball. He kept beating Lucille into Glenn's head while the rest of the group cried quietly. Mia straightened up as much as she could, but kept her eyes on the ground. She could hear the impact every time the bat hit Glenn.

"You bunch of fucking pussies," Negan said between blows. "I'm just getting started." He landed more blows. "Lucille is thirsty." He laughed. "She is a vampire bat." He went to stand in front of Rick with his bat in his hand. There was a piece of flesh caught on the end it was dripping blood. "What? Was the joke that bad?"

"I'm gonna kill you," Rick responded and Mia let out a quiet cry.

Negan kneeled in front of him. "What? I didn't quite catch that. You're going to have to speak up."

"Not today… not tomorrow… but I'm going to kill you," Rick said. Negan said something short in response, but Mia couldn't hear him. She tugged on her cuffs and felt the blood run down her fingers.

"Simon, what did he have, a knife?" Negan asked.

"Uh, he had a hatchet," Simon answered.

"A hatchet?" Negan questioned.

"He had an axe," Simon clarified.

Negan laughed shortly. "Simon's my right-hand man. Having one of those is fucking important. I mean, what do you have without them? A whole lot of work. Do you have one? Maybe one of these fine people still breathing?" When Rick didn't answer he continued. "Oh… or did I…" Negan clicked his tongue as he moved Lucille in front of Rick's face. He sighed heavily when Rick stared back at him angrily. "Sure. Yeah. Give me his axe."

Simon went and got the axe from another Savior before handing it to Negan. He remained kneeling in front of Rick for a while longer. He slid the hatchet into his belt after he stood up. Mia tried to stay calm when he grabbed onto the back of Rick's jacket and started to pull him across the clearing towards the RV, but her fear won out.

"Negan, please," she said when he came to a stop beside her. Rick met her gaze and she could see that, in that moment, he wasn't the confident man she had come to love. She looked up at Negan and pulled at her cuffs again despite the pain. "Please, don't hurt him."

"Well, since you asked so nicely I'll definitely consider the idea of not hurting him," Negan said. A second later he continued. "I've considered it. Let's go."

He shoved Rick into the RV and turned back to the rest of the group and his Saviors. He pointed to Dwight and gestured for him to approach. The blonde man walked over with the crossbow in his hand and stood in front of his boss. Negan picked Mia up by her arm and touched her bloody hands lightly before removing her handcuffs.

"Take Amelia and clean and bandage her wrists," Negan instructed as he pushed her towards Dwight. The other man took her by the arm and nodded. "Give her the V.I.P. treatment and keep her out of the lineup until I get back."

Negan looked down at Mia. "Don't try anything stupid, Amelia. I might just decide to put you back in the fold."

"I don't care about me," Mia told him.

"Fine. If you try something I'll kill your boyfriend," Negan paused, "and his son while you watch."

Mia gritted her teeth as she glared at him. "I won't try anything."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Negan said and grabbed her by the chin roughly. She tried to yank her face away, but he just tightened his hold, making her grimace. He looked to Dwight. "You know, she reminds me of your ex-wife. She's prettier and more rebellious, but a lot like Sherry."

Mia let out a strained breath through her clenched teeth as she looked at Dwight. He was hiding it well, but he was angered by Negan mentioning his ex-wife. "Yeah, she is."

Negan let go of Mia's face and clicked his tongue as he smiled at her. "Maybe they'll even end up in the same place."

"Doubtful," Mia growled.

"We'll see," Negan said before gesturing for Dwight to walk away. She looked over her shoulder as he pulled her away. Negan stepped up into the RV and addressed the entire clearing when he spoke again. "I'll be back. Maybe Rick will be with me. And if not, we can just turn these people inside out, won't we? I mean, the ones who are left."

Negan shut the door behind him and Dwight pulled on her arm roughly. She tried to slow him down by digging her heels into the gravel, but Dwight just grabbed onto her other arm and led her to one of the trucks behind her family. He opened the car door and pushed her up into the driver's seat. Dwight told another Savior to get the first-aide kit and sat on a cooler that someone had placed in front of her. She refused to look at him, though. Mia let out a sad sigh when she looked at the rest of her group. They were all kneeling in a straight line, forced to wait beside the dead bodies of their loved ones. She could see the bodies, too. They were untouched until the place where their heads used to be. Instead there was a puddle of blood, brain matter, bone, and hair. The sight made her shoulders fall. Glenn and Abraham were gone… dead. Beaten to a bloody pulp and left in the dirt. Mia was racked with grief and guilt.

Dwight took one of her hands in his and she winced when he touched the cut on her wrist. He looked up at her and sighed. "Sorry."

Mia glared at him. "Are you? Because you seem pretty relaxed after watching two men get beaten to death."

"I was talking about the cut," Dwight said as he continued to clean the wound. Mia looked at her wrist and saw that she had done a number on herself. The cuts were deep and her hands had trails of fresh blood that reached her fingertips. Dwight tried to wipe it off, but not all of it would come off. He moved on to the other hand and repeated the process.

"Your wife, Sherry, where did she end up?" Mia asked once the curiosity won out.

"I don't have to talk to you," Dwight responded and Mia tilted her head to the side.

"No, you don't," Mia sighed. "I guess I'll just ask Negan when he gets back."

Dwight looked up at her. "She's one of his wives."

"Figures," Mia whispered and bowed her head when Dwight wiped a cloth across her cut a little too hard. "How many is that now?"

"Six," Dwight answered and continued working.

"Why did you go back?"

He met her gaze and sighed. "Because everything is already his… or will be."

Mia's expression faltered when she glanced at her friends and family. "That's not true. If it were, he'd be invincible… and he's not. One day, I'm going to prove it."

Dwight held her gaze for a moment longer before dropping his eyes to her hands. Mia looked back to the bodies of her dead friends. She never looked forward to killing, but for Glenn and Abraham and everyone they left behind she was going to make sure that Negan ended up dead in the ground... even if she had to do it herself. He was going to pay the price for what he's done.

 **A/N:** I didn't want to go too off script for this chapter because they're probably the most memorable episodes in The Walking Dead, but Mia's presence will change a few things next chapter. Please favorite/follow/review. Thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter 13

Set during 7x01 "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be."

 _We fight every night for something_ _  
_ _When the sun sets we're both the same_ _  
_ _Half in the shadows_ _  
_ _Half burned in flames_ _  
_ _We can't look back for nothing_ _  
_ _Take what you need, say your goodbyes_ _  
_ _I gave you everything_ _  
_ _This darkness is the light  
_ " _Beautiful Crime" – Tamer_

Chapter 13 — This Darkness is the Light

Amelia had her bandaged hands in her lap as she sat in the back of the same van that the Saviors used to bring her and the others to the clearing. Dwight was standing beside her, holding the crossbow in his arms. Mia wanted to check on Maggie, but she knew that they wouldn't let her and she couldn't push her luck. Negan never made empty threats.

She looked up when the RV rolled into the clearing. There was still some concern that Negan had killed Rick, but Mia let out a sigh of relief when he fell out of the RV. Dwight grabbed her arm and pulled her forward as Negan dragged Rick over to their group, dropping him onto his stomach. Rick got to his knees before looking up and over at Mia. She gave him a sad smile when their eyes met. Mia looked at Negan next and found that he was already watching her, his lips twitching with excitement.

"Come here, Amelia," Negan said as he gestured towards himself. She hesitated for a moment, but walked over to him. He grabbed one of her hands and inspected the bandages on her wrists. It didn't make sense. His touch was too delicate for a monster. He seemed to accept the work and let go of her hand before meeting her gaze. She wondered why such handsome features were wasted on such a miserable human being. He pointed to the spot in front of Rick and she wanted to smack the grin off his face. "Kneel, Amelia."

She fought her urge to voice her opinions and did as he said. She tried to give Rick a reassuring smile when their gazes found each other, but it wasn't enough. Negan walked around to Rick's side. "Let me ask you something, Rick. Do you even know what that little trip was about?"

Negan put Lucille an inch from Mia's face when Rick didn't answer. She stared at Negan and he allowed her see the truth in his expression. He wasn't going to kill her. Not then. Not there. Rick couldn't see that, though, and Negan used it to his advantage. He was going to play on his feelings for her and his family. "Speak when spoken to!"

Rick looked at Mia and she gave him an encouraging nod. She wasn't going to die tonight, but that didn't mean her friends and family were safe. Mia didn't want Rick or anyone else to get hurt so he needed to cooperate. Rick dropped his head for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Okay."

"That trip was about the way you looked at me. I wanted to change that. I wanted you to understand," Negan explained. Rick looked up at him and Negan smiled, obviously enjoying his little game. "But you're still looking at me the same fucking way… like I shit in your scrambled eggs, and that's not gonna fucking work. So," Negan started as he kneeled beside him, "do I give you another chance?"

Mia silently begged Rick to answer correctly. He met her gaze and her presence gave him the strength to nod faintly. "Yeah. Yes. _Yes_."

"Okay. All right," Negan said and stood up. "And here it is—the grand-prize game. What you do next will decide whether your crap day becomes everyone's last crap day or just another crap day. Get some guns to the back of their heads."

Mia looked over her shoulder to see the Saviors obey their leader. Every one of her family and friends had a gun to the back of their head, including her. Negan's eyes trailed to Mia's slowly and flexed his jaw.

"No," Negan said, still staring at Mia. "Not her. I've got something else planned for Amelia."

The man standing behind her walked away and Negan gestured to everyone. "Get the guns level with their noses, so if you have to fire…" Negan imitated an explosion, making Mia flinch "…it'll be a real fucking mess."

"Kid," Negan said as he looked at Carl. He used a finger to motion to himself. "Right here,"

Mia glanced over her shoulder at Carl and looked back at Rick. He stared at her and she forced herself to mouth, " _It's okay_."

"Kid," Negan repeated. Mia pursed her lips into a thin line. "Now."

Carl got to his feet and walked over to Negan slowly. Meanwhile, the older man removed his belt from his waist.

"You a southpaw?" Negan asked.

"Am I a what?" Carl retorted angrily.

"You a lefty?"

"No," Carl answered.

"Good," Negan said before wrapping the belt around the kid's arm and tightening it. "That hurt?"

"No," Carl said as he glared up at Negan.

"Should," Negan told him. "It's supposed to."

Mia straightened her back when Negan pointed to the ground. "All right. Get down on the ground, kid, next to daddy. Spread them wings."

Negan pulled the hat off his head and tossed it over his shoulder. He guided him to the ground and pushed him down onto his stomach while pulling his arm out beside him. Mia realized what he was going to do and bowed her head as she let out a heavy sigh. Rick was nearly crying when she looked into his eyes.

"Simon, you got a pen?" Negan asked.

"Yeah," the man answered and tossed it to him. Negan removed the cap with his mouth and kneeled beside Carl. Mia wet her lips… bit down hard on her lower lip… curled her fingers into a fist and dug her nails into her palms—anything to stop herself from doing something she'd regret.

"Sorry, kid," he said. "This is going to be as cold as a warlock's ballsack, just like he was hanging his ballsack above you and dragging it right across the forearm. There you go. Gives you a little leverage."

When he finished, Mia saw that he had drawn a line across Carl's arm. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. But her anger… frustration… rage was building inside of her. She wasn't sure if she could control it much longer. Mia prayed that Negan wasn't going to do what she thought he was.

"Please. Please. Please, don't," Rick begged and Mia ran her hands over her thighs quickly. She hoped she wasn't shaking. "Please don't."

"Me?" Negan chuckled. "I ain't doing shit."

"No," Mia breathed.

"Rick, I want you to take your axe… cut your son's left arm off, right on that line," Negan instructed. Amelia gave him a swift glance and recognized the pompous expression that he had been holding back all along. He was savoring every minute of this. The fear gave him power. It made him happy, which made Mia sick to her stomach. "Now, I know. I know. You're gonna have to process that for a second. That makes sense. Still, though, I'm gonna need you to do it or all these people are going to die. Then Carl dies, then the people back home die… and then you, eventually. I'm gonna keep you breathing for a few years, just so you can stew on it."

"You don't have to do this," Michonne said from her spot behind Mia. The younger woman didn't have the strength to tell her friend that her pleas were worthless. She had to focus on controlling the emotions swirling around in her body. Michonne had to try, though. "We understand. We understand."

"You understand. Yeah," Negan said. Mia stared at the ground. She didn't want to risk meeting Negan's gaze. His smile would break through the wall she'd built and she'd lose control. "I'm not sure that Rick does. I'm gonna need a clean cut right there on that line. Now, I know this is a screwed-up thing to ask, but it's gonna have to be like a salami slice—nothing messy, clean, 45 degrees—gives us something to fold over. We got a great doctor. The kid'll be fine. Probably. Rick," Negan said as he kneeled beside him. "This needs to happen now—chop, chop—or I will crush the little fella's skull myself."

"It can—it can—it can be me," Rick stuttered. He was crying by then. Mia could tell he'd never felt fear like that before. "It can be me. W—w—you can do it to me. I c—I can go with—with you."

Mia cursed to herself when an idea popped into her head. It was insane… it was dangerous… it was a Hail Mary. It was a sacrifice that she didn't want to give, but she had to.

"No. This is the only way," Negan said and stood up. "Rick… pick up the axe. Not making a decision is a big decision! You really want to see all these people die? You will. You will see every ugly thing." He sighed. "Oh, my God. Are you going to make me fucking count? Okay, Rick. You win. I am counting. 3!"

"Please," Rick cried, causing Mia drop her head into her hands as her eyes filled with tears. Her heart was being torn in two different directions. "Please! It can be me! Please!"

"2!"

Mia pressed her palms to her forehead as she desperately tried to think of an alternative option. But nothing would stop this for sure. Nothing except her insane proposition. Her heart was banging against her ribs so hard it was almost painful.

 _For Rick._

 _For Carl._

"Please, don't do—" Rick started to say, but Negan kneeled beside him and slapped him. He grabbed his face. Negan's eyes were hardened now. He had no patience left. Negan wanted to end this.

"This is it," Negan said. Mia raked her fingers through her hair and dropped her hands from her face. She gave Carl and Rick one last glance and steeled herself for what she was about to do.

"Ahh!" Rick screamed as he grabbed the hatchet on the floor and placed a hand on top of his son's hand.

"1!"

"Stop!" Mia shouted so loud that her voice echoed through the woods. She stood up, shaking with anger and exhaustion. Negan turned around and looked at her with his eyebrow cocked. He wasn't surprised or curious. She knew he saw her intervention coming. "I"ll give you what you want."

"And what do you think it is that I want?" Negan asked. His amusement was plain to see.

"Me," Mia answered without doubt or hesitation and his smile slid back into place. "I'll go with you to the Sanctuary if you don't make him do this." She could see Rick shaking his head frantically, but she forced herself to ignore him and continued anyways. "I won't fight. I won't try to run. I'll stay with you willingly for a week."

"It's going to take more than that to stop this," Negan said after holding her gaze for a few infinitely long seconds. It appeared to take a lot of willpower for him to tear his eyes from Mia and look down at her boyfriend. "Go on, Rick. Chop away."

"Wait!" Mia demanded and Negan looked up at her with a small, handsome smile. She hated herself for noticing it. When she looked at him she had to remind herself that he was a monster. He was everything she hated come to life. She would not allow herself to forget that. "Two weeks. I'll stay with you for two weeks."

"Is that all Carl's arm is worth?" Negan said as he gestured to the kid. He knew exactly what he was doing. Bargaining in this situation was easy. He had everything to gain and she had everything to lose.

Mia looked down at Rick's son and smiled sadly when he met her eyes. She would do anything for Carl… even if it meant putting herself in danger. She glanced back up at Negan and sighed. "A month. I'll live with you for a month and I will do whatever you want to contribute while I'm there. Just please… please, stop this."

Negan held her gaze as he contemplated what she said. He smiled after a long moment and held out his hand. Mia clenched her jaw so tight that her teeth started to hurt and stepped over Carl's arm to take Negan's hand. She was shocked by his gentle touch and earnest eyes.

"Fine," Negan said and Mia believed him. "I accept your deal."

Negan walked past her and squatted beside Rick. "Your girlfriend might have saved you from this, but it doesn't change anything. You answer to me. You provide for me. You belong to me. Right?" Rick nodded, but Negan grabbed his face and raised his voice. Even though Mia had stopped him, they were still walking on thin ice. It could break and send them all into deadly water. "Speak when you're spoken too! You answer to me. You provide for me."

"Provide for you," Rick repeated. Mia wrapped a hand over her stomach and ran her fingers over her lips as she watched the interaction between Rick and Negan. It was all she could do not to yell at him to stop. She had given him exactly what he wanted. Mia just wanted the monster to stop clawing at her friends and family.

"You belong to me, right?!" Negan asked with enough anger to make Mia flinch.

"Right," Rick answered.

"Right," Negan said. He let go of Rick's face and pointed at him. "That… is the look I wanted to see." Negan stood up and grabbed the axe from Rick's hand. "We did it… all of us, together… even the dead guys on the ground. Hell, they get the spirit award, for sure. And then there's Amelia… who's going home with the guy who killed two of her friends and nearly made her boyfriend cut off his son's arm just to save them from some pain. That is true teamwork! Today was a productive fucking day! Now, I hope, for all your sake… that you get it now… that you understand how things work. Things have changed. Whatever you had going for you, that is fucking over now." Negan chuckled. Mia hated him for it. "Ah. Dwight. Load him up."

Mia inhaled sharply when she saw he had pointed his bat at Daryl. Dwight obeyed and put him in the back of the van. Mia had nothing else to give in return for Daryl to stay. Negan lowered himself beside Rick. "He's got guts—not a little fucking bitch like someone I know. I like him. He's mine now.

But you still want to try something? 'Not today, not tomorrow.' 'Not today, not tomorrow?'" Negan emphasized and Mia clenched her fists at her sides. "I will fucking cut pieces off of… fuck's his name?"

"Daryl," Simon answered.

"Wow. That actually sounds right," Negan said with a chuckle. Mia nearly rolled her eyes, but quickly abandoned the urge. Negan missed absolutely nothing. "I will cut pieces off of Daryl and put them on your fucking doorstep—or, better yet, I will bring him to you and have you do it for me." Negan sighed as he stood up. "Welcome to a brand-new beginning, you sorry shits! I'm gonna leave you a truck. Keep it. Use it to cart all the crap you're gonna find me. We'll be back for our first offering in one week. Until then… ta-ta."

Negan grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her too close to him and she knew she'd never been so defenseless in her life… never so vulnerable. But that didn't stop Amelia from denying him of this. She nearly sprained her wrist in her haste to distance herself from him. He was trying to lead her away, but licked his bottom lip into a forced smile when she fought against him. She lowered her voice. "Can I say goodbye?"

"And why would I let you do that?" Negan retorted impatiently. Mia swallowed the hesitation and met his eyes.

"Because you got what you wanted. You scared them into submission and I'm going with you. So, please, let me say goodbye."

Negan contemplated it for a long while before nodding. "Okay. Say goodbye. I'll be in the car, Amelia, but don't make me wait long."

"I won't," Mia told him.

She waited until he was in he was out of earshot to go to her people. She went to Maggie first. The woman had only been getting worse since the night began, and it showed. Mia kneeled before her and pulled her into a hug. The older woman hugged her back tightly and cried into her shoulder.

"I'll be back soon and then we'll find a way to fight, okay? We're going to fight this," Mia said as she pulled back and grabbed Maggie's face gently. She was whispering. They were still surrounded by sharks waiting to eat them alive. "Don't give up hope, okay? We'll make him pay for what he's done. Just… don' lose hope."

Mia kissed her on the forehead and rested her forehead against Maggie's. "I'll be back."

She dropped her hands from Maggie's face and looked around at the rest of the group. Michonne held out a hand towards Mia and she took hold of it firmly. She spoke to the whole group when she spoke again. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save them. I'm so sorry."

Mia went to Carl next. He was kneeling by then, but the belt was still on his arm. She didn't have to ask for a hug; he wrapped his arms around her without hesitation and she was grateful. Mia hugged him back.

"You didn't have to do that," Carl said.

"Yes, I did," Mia sighed. She let go of him and leaned back as she placed her hands on his shoulders. He might not be her son, but he was family. "I will always protect you, Carl. I will always protect my family… no matter the cost."

"Thank you," Carl told her as she dropped her hands from his shoulders.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Mia said with a forced smile and Carl nodded. She hoped he couldn't see the hesitation in her eyes. She didn't want to leave any of them.

Mia moved in front of Rick next and studied his face as he stared back at her. "I couldn't just sit by and let him do that to you or Carl. I had to do something and going with him was the only thing I knew would work."

Rick took her hand and nodded. "I know. I wish it didn't have to happen, but… thank you, Mia."

"I'll try to look out for Daryl, okay?" Mia offered him a sad smile after he acknowledged what she said. Mia leaned forward and gave him a short hug before kissing him and Rick kissed her back just as desperately. When they parted, Mia kissed him on the cheek and hugged him one last time. She hoped they wouldn't have to wait an entire month to see each other again, but neither of them knew what the future held. "I love you, Rick. Hold onto that."

When she heard a car horn sound she sighed and stood up. She gave her family and friends a fleeting glance and went to the big black truck parked nearby. Negan was already sitting in the driver's seat and he gestured to the passenger side seat. Mia opened the door and hopped inside. She watched her family start to move around from their spots as Negan drove away.

She convinced herself they would be fine without her. But would she be able to survive the next month without them?

* * *

Mia rode in the front of the car with Negan, but he had Simon duct tape her legs and hands together. The bag over her head was another precaution she assumed. When the car finally did come to a stop, she heard several doors open and then hers. Someone turned her body in the seat before cutting the tape around her ankles and knees. The same person picked her up and set her down outside the car. They guided her to an unknown destination without so much as a sigh. When Simon removed the bag, she was in a fully decorated room. It had a bed, nightstands, lamps, a table, chairs, a television, a wardrobe, and an attached kitchen. It looked like a normal person lived there.

"Give me your hands," Simon said and Mia obliged. He cut the tape and unbound her hands before giving her a wide smile. "Negan will be here soon, but he said to make yourself at home."

"Is this his…" Mia started to ask as she surveyed the room again, but stopped short when she felt a prick on her neck. She faced Simon slowly and lifted a hand to the spot the needle pricked her. The older man caught her when she fell forward a moment later, her knees buckling. Her head was spinning. She tried to shake the nausea from her body, but that only made it worse.

"Don't worry," Simon told her as she weakened against him. He was the only thing holding her up by then. "You're just going to take a little nap."

Mia wanted to speak, but it felt like her mouth was bolted shut. She forced her eyes open again every time they fluttered shut, but despite fighting the drug's effects repeatedly it was less than a ten seconds later when she fell into darkness.

* * *

It took hours for her to open her eyes. Her head was heavy. Her vision was blurry. She could feel the faint panic bubbling in her chest. Mia tried to rub her eyes, but the weight on her arms and legs made it impossible. There were metal cuffs locked onto her wrists and ankles. The chains were bolted to the concrete floor, holding her to the chair. She yanked on them. Once. Twice. Nothing.

Mia looked around the room where she was being held, fighting to remember how she got there. It was a large room. Four brick walls. Concrete floor. One long window running along the ceiling that informed her the day had turned into night. The table pushed against the wall was covered with rusted pipes and sheets of metal. Abandoned projects were scattered the room. It looked like an old garage.

"How are you feeling?"

She hurt her neck when she snapped her head around. Negan walked through the door and into view. She hated his pompous, self-satisfied strut. Mia would give anything to break the grin off his face.

Suddenly, the memories from the night in the woods burned a hole in her heart. Glenn and Abraham's faces drifted into her mind. She remembered being in a room and Simon drugging her. Then nothing.

Negan studied her face. "I was worried for a moment."

Mia narrowed her eyes at him and he slowed to a stop in front of her. She tried to control her breathing. Negan sat down in the chair facing Mia and sighed. "I want you to join us."

"What?" Mia asked, incapable of masking her surprise.

"We're in a war against the dead. We need people like you on our team. Maybe you can help us start to rebuild the world," Negan said, slightly impatient.

"You—"

"You let your emotions cloud your judgment and dictate your actions. I know what you're capable of, Amelia. I know what you've done and I know what you could do if you just opened yourself up to the endless possibilities I can offer you," Negan said, pausing just long enough for Mia to start to fumble for the right words. "Together, we could be unstoppable."

When she struggled to respond Negan's lips curled into a knowing smile. Mia hated his smile. She pursed her lips into a thin line and let out a steady breath. "You are the most ignorant person I have ever met if you think you could ever make me join your band of serial killers. I would never do that willingly."

Negan ignored her. "If you accept my offer, you'll live like I do. You will become one of us and cease being one of _them_. Your life could change drastically."

"And when I don't accept?" Mia asked

"I am only trying to help you, Amelia," Negan sighed.

"You're lying," she responded without any hesitation. She knew there had to be something else. Something he wanted from her.

"To most people," Negan told her. His own admission. "But never to you."

"I don't want to be here. I don't want to join you here. As soon as my debt is paid, I am gone," Mia explained in a sharp voice.

"I need you and I think you need me," Negan continued after rubbing his face.

"You need me to help you intimidate people," Mia replied. "You want me to help you kill."

Negan laughed quietly. "I think you know that I don't need your help to kill people. I can do that on my own. I'm actually quite good at it."

"You're a monster," Mia murmured under her breath.

"I'm not as cruel as you think, Amelia," Negan said, unaffected by what she said. "I'm just doing the job that no one else has the fucking balls to do."

"I hope you burn in hell, you twisted son of a bitch."

Negan smiled and laughed. "So much passion." He looked so calm yet so amused. "But you should watch what you say to me."

"Or what?" Mia asked. "What are you going to do? Torture me? Kill me?"

"No," Negan answered, smirking again. "Not you."

The whistle that Negan gave next was a signal, no doubt, and a moment later Mia's heart dropped to her stomach. Daryl was dragged into the room, barely able to stay on his feet. His clothes had been changed into matching sweatpants and sweatshirt. There was an orange A spray-painted onto the shirt. The older man was still filthy, covered in grime and sweat, but he wasn't bleeding, which gave Mia little solace. Not all wounds are visible to the naked eye.

"What are you doing with him?" Mia asked Negan, focusing on keeping her expression free of any telling emotions. If he sensed weakness, he might pounce. And with Daryl present, she couldn't risk her hatred sparking something else entirely.

"He's here to teach you a lesson," Negan answered and the man who delivered Daryl threw him to the ground in front of the Mia. "I will never hurt you, Mia." She stiffened when he walked behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck. His lips lingered by her ear. "But every time you disobey me or just plain piss me off, Daryl will be punished."

Mia met Daryl's gaze. "You—"

Negan must have signaled the man standing behind Daryl because he punched him square in the jaw. He hit Daryl three more times before he went back to his original position, like the trained dog he was. Mia yanked on her chains and begged Negan to stop the beating. A part of her thought he wouldn't dare kill Daryl. But he had killed Glenn and Abraham without hesitation. Negan didn't value Daryl's life. He would kill him in a heartbeat given the right reason. Mia wasn't going to be the one to deliver it to Negan. She was going to have to bury her anger and contempt in a place where no one could reach them.

"I hope we have an understanding," Negan said as he stepped back into view. He ran his fingers down the length of her arm and rested his hand on hers. Mia met his gaze and exhaled slowly, forcing herself to turn to steel.

"We do," she told him.

 _I will bide my time… and one day I will turn your kingdom to ash,_ is what she didn't tell him. _I will be the perfect prisoner._

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes! Let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 14 - Part 1

Set during 7x03 "The Cell."

 _Dark twisted fantasy turned to reality_

 _Kissing death and losing my breath_

 _Midnight hours cobble street passages_

 _Forgotten savages, forgotten savages_

 _Dig up her bones but leave the soul alone_

 _Let her find her way to a better place_

 _Broken dreams and silent screams_

 _Empty churches with soulless curses_

 _We found a way to escape the day_

" _Bones" – Ms Mr_

Chapter 14: Part I — Kissing Death

"Amelia Corinne Monroe."

She looked up as Negan walked into his room, which was where she had been taken right after he was done with his show of force in the garage. But he was wrong. She had always gone by Mia. Just Mia. Negan never cared about that, though. To him, she was always going to be Amelia Monroe. She realized a while back that attempting to correct him was a futile effort.

"Simon said you've stayed true to your promise so far," Negan told her as he sat beside her on the bed. Mia kept her hands fisted in her lap, her nails digging into her skin instead of his. She couldn't react to him. Negan needed to believe that she wasn't going to fight back. "You haven't fought him or tried to leave."

"I told you I wouldn't," Mia retorted, unable to stop the irritation from seeping into her voice. "I keep my promises."

"Good." Negan easily ignored her tone. "Now, I think that we should lay down some rules."

"Fine," Mia huffed and tipped her head, her hair spilling over one shoulder.

"Rule number 1: Don't fucking interfere with anything that goes on. You are here as a guest and that's it." Somehow, Mia managed to hold back a scoff. Negan rubbed his beard for a moment before continuing. "Rule Number 2: You will not go anywhere without an escort. You can choose from my generals. I don't give a flying fuck who it is."

"Okay," Mia said, forcing herself to unlock her clenched jaw.

"Rule Number 3: You will be staying with Dwight during your visit. You will sleep in his bed and he'll sleep on the floor to keep an eye on you, and in return we'll make sure Daryl has some clothes and at least two meals a day," Negan said, causing Mia to shoot him a look. He smiled at her as he went on. "I want to trust you, Amelia, but I can't. Not yet, anyways. You'll get your own room once I know I can rely on you not to do anything stupid. We'll also be spending a lot of time together so you can think of yourself as my personal companion. If you can handle that then we have a deal."

Mia didn't have to think about her options for too long. Dwight had killed Denise and seriously injured Daryl, but this was his wellbeing Negan was talking about. This was a matter of her family's safety and she would always put that above her own feelings. "If I can see Daryl at least once a day then I will…" Mia swallowed her hatred "…room with Dwight."

Negan narrowed his eyes at her before looking up at Simon who was standing by the door. Mia didn't have to turn around to know that Simon approved. Negan returned his gaze to Mia and smirked as he held out a hand towards her. "Deal."

"Deal." Mia grabbed his hand and gave it a single shake before releasing. She didn't even want to be in the same room as Negan, let alone be his personal companion. Mia wanted to punch him, kick him, hurt him, kill him, but she couldn't do that while she and Daryl were in the Sanctuary. She was going to have to be patient and wait. She was willing to do that… for the sake of her family.

"We'll get you some clean clothes and the doctor can take a look at your wrists," Negan said as he stood up. Mia followed in suit and grabbed his arm before he could try to leave.

"I want to see Daryl," Mia told him firmly. "Now."

Negan wet his lips as they curled into a smirk. "Fine. We'll bring him here."

"Simon," Negan said without looking away from Mia. "Get our friend Daryl some clothes and bring him in here."

Mia heard the door open and close behind her, refusing to break her eye contact with Negan. The look in his eyes scared her, but he couldn't let him know that. He leaned down closer to her and smiled even wider. "You don't scare easily. It's hot."

"I've done and seen things you wouldn't believe," Mia told him. "I've lost things you can never understand. I'm not scared of you because I don't think you're the worst this world has to offer. I believe the worst has yet to come so I'm saving my fear for _that_. You—you're just a bump in the road."

Mia locked every muscle, tensing up so she wouldn't shake as Negan stared down at her, searching for the lie she kept well-hidden. But the desire in his eyes made her quiver anyways. He took her face in his disturbingly soft hands, both thumbs tight under her jaw, inches away from her jugular.

His kiss hurt worse than the torture she had once endured.

The feeling of his lips moving against hers was the worst kind of violation. But for him, for what Mia needed from him, she kept her hands fisted at her sides. She pictured her fingernails digging into his flesh, but somehow refrained from actually tearing at his skin. He had to believe that she was compliant, that she didn't completely and utterly despise him. Negan's feelings for her was the only thing that could truly keep Daryl safe. She kept her jaw locked, however, unable to find the nerve in her to kiss him back. Mia was hyperaware that she was on thin ice. One wrong move could cost Daryl—could cost their entire family everything.

Negan wrapped an arm around her waist and he deepened the kiss. Mia hoped he couldn't feel her skin crawl beneath his fingers. It was only when she heard the door open that Mia turned her head away and faced the door, aggressively fighting the urge to wipe the ghost of Negan's kiss from her lips. She let out a heavy sigh as her gaze scanned Daryl. He was dirty, bloody, and obviously exhausted. It looked like he had been beaten an inch from death.

"I'll leave you two alone," Negan said before walking out of the room with Simon on his heels.

The second the door shut behind them, Mia went to Daryl and wrapped her arms around him in a much-needed hug. She felt him tense at first, but after a moment he relaxed and hugged her back tightly. It was as if she was his lifeline and he was afraid to let go. In this unfamiliar environment, they were all each other had and if Mia could do anything to stop it she wasn't going to let him slip through her grasp. Mia rested her chin on his shoulder as he gripped the base of her neck, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She only let him go when he loosened his hold on her.

"What did they do to you?" Mia asked quietly as she inspected the bruises and cuts on his face.

"Tried to escape," Daryl murmured. "It was a trap, and when I wouldn't submit to that asshole, he had his goons beat on me."

Mia let out a deep breath as she traced a cut on his cheek gingerly. Her brown eyes met his. "I'm so sorry, Daryl. I made a deal with Negan that should help you, but I'm going to find a way to get you out of here, okay? Just try to hang in there."

"I can handle this pansy-ass torture," Daryl mumbled.

Mia wet her lips and cocked her head to the side. "I know you can."

"What did you have to give him?" Daryl asked after a moment of silence.

"It doesn't matter." She didn't want him to blame himself for her decision. "All that matters is that I am going to do whatever it takes to make this easier for you."

"Don't," Daryl said. "Don't give him what he wants just for me. I told you, I can handle whatever they throw at me."

"Negan is a sadistic sociopath," Mia responded in a hushed whisper. She knew they were surrounded by sharks that were searching for a reason to attack. They were probably waiting on the other side of the door as they spoke. "He doesn't care what it costs. He will break your mind, body, and soul if he has to. It doesn't matter if you think you can take it. You're family and I'm not going to let family suffer like that. If I can spare you from some pain, I'll do whatever he asks and I won't regret—"

"What else is he having you do?" Daryl asked, cutting her off. Mia met his gaze and sighed. She knew Daryl wouldn't give up until he knew what his safety cost her.

"I have to room with Dwight and be a companion for Negan," When Daryl gave her a look, she continued. "I'm not going to let him do anything. I would never sleep with him willingly and Negan doesn't allow rape so I don't have to worry about him forcing himself on me. I hate that I have to pretend not to loathe Negan and everyone else here, but I'm willing to do it if it means you get to go home eventually and I will never regret making that deal."

Daryl stepped towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're stronger than you think, Mia. Don't let him take that from you."

"I won't," Mia promised. The door opened a moment later and Daryl dropped his hand to his ribs. She hadn't even noticed that he was hurt there.

"Times up," Simon said as he walked into the room. He looked at Mia as he took a hold of Daryl. "Negan said that I can escort you around if you like."

Mia exchanged a look with Daryl before meeting Simon's gaze again. "Uh, sure. Thanks."

"I'll be back soon," Simon said and walked out of the room with Daryl, shutting the door behind him.

Mia ran her fingers through her hair as her gaze fell upon the doorknob. She walked up to the door and reached a hand out towards the handle. Her palm hovered above it for a moment before she let out a heavy sigh and curled her fingers into a fist. Negan was eager to find a reason to show how much control he had over Mia and Daryl. If she broke a rule he would probably take that as reasonable motive to beat the crap out of Daryl again… or worse.

She dropped her arm to her side and thought back to the past night and everything she'd watch unfold. One moment they were a group who had everything they needed and the next they were nothing. Abraham, with his red hair and unfiltered mouth, was dead. Glenn, the man who had never killed a living person until the Saviors came into their lives, was dead, too. Two perfectly healthy men turned into brutalized, lifeless corpses in a matter of minutes. Maggie and Sasha were left without the men they loved and Maggie's baby was left without a father.

Mia inhaled sharply when she remembered Maggie's baby. She hoped that the child was okay, that they made it to the hilltop and Dr. Carson managed to save the baby. Maggie needed that baby just as much as Mia needed her family to be safe and well. Negan had taken her sense of safety from her, though. In return Mia was going to make sure that his empire would fall. She swore to herself that she wouldn't rest until she found a way to avenge the dead.

* * *

After Simon returned, he escorted her around the compound. He told her that it was a factory before the outbreak and had turned out to be the perfect place for a base of operations. Mia remained relatively silent as Simon showed her the gardens, the marketplace, and the sleeping quarters. She met several other Saviors during her tour, including most of Negan's wives and Dr. Carson. They seemed almost normal, but she couldn't trust any of them. They were all Negan in her eyes.

"Well, that's the end of the tour," Simon said as he led her into Negan's room. Mia sighed when she saw the outfit on the bed: a short black dress and a pair of heels.

"I'm not wearing this," Mia said as she picked up the dress and shoes. She shoved them into Simon's arms and smirked lightly. "Tell Negan that I'm not one of his wives. Either he can get me some real clothes or…"

"Or what?" Simon asked with a raised eyebrow, amused.

Mia shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bed. She bowed her head as she ran her fingers through her hair, sighing before looking up at Simon. "I don't know. I don't have much leverage here."

"I'll get you something more appropriate," Simon said. "The dress was Negan's version of a joke."

"That's fucking hilarious," Mia said quietly. She waited on the bed while Simon was gone. He returned a few minutes later with a pair of dark-washed jeans and a white V-neck t-shirt. He also had a towel and brush in his hands.

"Negan wanted you to use his private shower to clean yourself up," Simon said. "No one will bother you in there."

"Okay," Mia said cautiously. She took the clothes from his hands and he led her to the separate bathroom, unlocking the door for her. Mia hesitated to walk inside, though.

"I'll lock the door once you go in and wait here for you to finish," Simon told her as he handed her the towel and brush. "I'll make sure you won't be interrupted by anyone."

"Not even Negan?" Mia asked pointedly.

"He's dealing with a situation. And if he gets back before you're done, he won't join you if you don't want him to."

"I don't," Mia stated bluntly.

She walked into the bathroom and Simon closed the door behind her. She waited until she heard the lock engage before she put the clothes on the hamper beside the shower and tossed the towel over the door. She placed the brush inside, undressed, and stepped into the shower. Her body shivered when her feet landed on the cold ceramic floor. Mia turned the dial, old and metallic, to hot. It released thousands of cold beads of water so she waited for it to warm before stepping under the stream.

The water rushed over her, darkening her hair and cascading down her back, rinsing off all the dirt and blood from the past couple days. She used the soap to wash herself and cleaned her hair with the shampoo and conditioner that was already in the shower. She worked out the tangles with the brush and even washed her face while she was in there. Afterwards, she dressed in the clothes Simon had given her and wrapped her hair in a towel. She tossed her dirty clothes into the hamper. Simon unlocked and opened the door once she knocked on it a few times. She kept the brush with her as he guided her back to a furnished room.

Mia knew that she shouldn't have been surprised to find Negan waiting inside. He was sitting on the single bed pushed up against the wall. Lucille was lying on the bed next to him. Mia looked over her shoulder when the door shut behind her. Simon was gone, leaving her alone with Negan. He was smirking when she looked back at him. That damn smirk.

"How do you like my shirt?" Negan asked and Mia sighed. It was pretty loose on her so she knew it was probably a men's shirt, but she didn't even consider that it came from Negan's own wardrobe.

"It's too big," Mia told him as she rolled her head to the side, unraveling the towel from her hair and catching it in her hands. She tossed it onto one of the chairs and started to brush her damp hair as she walked around the room. It had been dark outside for some time now so she knew that he was expecting her to go to sleep soon, but she wouldn't go near that bed until he was gone. "And the tag's itchy."

"Here," Negan said and Mia slid a glance in his direction. In his hands was a pair of pajama pants and a change of socks. "Denim isn't the most comfortable material to sleep in."

Mia took the pants and socks and removed her own boots and socks. She looked at Negan before she even considered changing her pants. He put his hands over his eyes and turned his back to her.

"I won't look," Negan said. "Scout's honor."

Mia kept her eyes on him as she took off her jeans and started to pull on the pajama pants. "You can only say that if you were actually a Boy Scout."

"I don't think it's a requirement," Negan retorted.

"Whatever," Mia huffed once she was done changing. She bundled up her new clothes in her arms. "I'm done."

"You can put those on the chair," Negan said, gesturing to the pants and socks. She threw them onto the leather recliner and folded her arms over her chest.

Negan stood up and approached her slowly as if he was afraid she'd get spooked and run. He lifted his hand to push a stray hair out of her face. "You really are beautiful."

Mia glared at him. " _Don't_."

Mia tried to think of other things as he stared down at her hungrily, things that would calm her nerves, but her mind turned immediately to Rick. She remembered what he looked like the morning after Negan's show of force. The man who was once confident and kind yet ruthless to his enemies had been terrorized into submission. Negan broke him and Mia couldn't be there to help him pick up the pieces. That's one of the things she regretted the most.

"I met Dwight's ex-wife today," Mia told Negan quietly and turned her head away.

She knew he was smiling. "Isn't she hot?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "Sure."

"She's one of my favorite wives."

"How did they end up back here?" Mia asked. "Daryl said that they made quite an effort to stay out of your reach and they, what, just decided to come back?"

"They came back willingly and begged for mercy," Negan explained. Mia narrowed her eyes at him. "I was going to kill Dwight until Sherry agreed to marry me if I spared him. So, I decided a lesser punishment was called for."

"The iron," Mia whispered. When Negan raised an eyebrow at her she added. "You told me about it during one of our talks and when I saw him in the woods, I just knew."

"Yeah. It seems to be the best way to teach these guys a lesson. You remove their fingernails, they stay strong. You cut them up, they stay strong. But when you melt half of their face off, they tend to lose their shit. Sometimes, literally."

Mia turned her head slightly to look at him. He laughed under his breath and ran a hand over the left side of her face slowly, allowing one of his fingers to catch on her bottom lip. "I would never damage a pretty face like this… but Daryl on the other hand." Mia held his gaze, silently daring him to finish the threat. "He's not as good-looking as you. He would recover… eventually. But not until he submitted." She stepped back and folded her arms over her chest. Without her participation, the conversation came to a quick end.

"Goodnight, Amelia," Negan told her. He grabbed Lucille off the bed and towered over Mia. "Sleep well."

Negan kissed her on the forehead before he left her alone in the room. She waited until he shut the door behind her to sit on the bed. Mia let out a heavy sigh as she leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and burying her face in her hands.

"I got you some food," Dwight announced as he entered the room. Mia looked up and saw that the older man was carrying an apple, water bottle, and some kind of sandwich. She stood up and bit her lip as she stared at the food. Dwight held them out to her. "You haven't eaten since before we caught you. Tomorrow's going to be a long day. You'll need your strength."

Mia met his blue eyes and nodded, sighing reluctantly. "Thanks."

Dwight walked over to the chair that Mia had put her towel and clothes on and moved them onto the table. She sat down on the bed as he sat on the chair and started to eat the food he had brought her.

"You remind me of her," Dwight admitted and Mia looked up at him. He was staring at the floor, avoiding her gaze. She clutched the plate in her hands and nodded, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"I know," Mia murmured.

"Negan's testing us both," Dwight continued. He looked at her, but Mia couldn't identify the emotion in his eyes. "That's why you're here."

Mia wet her lips and nodded again. "Makes sense."

The room remained silent until Mia finished her meal. She threw her trash in the wastebasket and laid down on Dwight's bed. He lied on the hard ground without a blanket or pillow. For reasons unknown to Mia, she offered him her pillow and blanket, but he refused to accept them.

"I don't need them," Dwight murmured before he turned over so his back was facing her. Mia sighed and rolled onto her back. She stared at the ceiling until sleep dragged her into darkness.

* * *

Amelia woke suddenly, everything in high definition. Her eyes took in every ray of light and without a doubt she knew she slept for too long. Dwight was already gone when she got out of bed. She didn't know when her escort would arrive so she quickly changed her pants. The door opened as she was pulling on her boots. Negan was already dressed in his usual attire with Lucille hanging at his side. He smirked and walked in front of her.

"When can I see Daryl?" Mia asked before he could say a word.

Negan narrowed his eyes at her. "I decide when you see Daryl."

He walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. She thought she'd be by his side the entire day, but she was grateful that he was giving her space. Mia folded her arms over her chest and rolled her head back on her shoulders. She decided to stretch her arms and legs to pass the time. It was no surprise that Simon was the one who came to the room.

"Do you know what he has planned for today?" Mia asked.

"I do," Simon answered.

"But you're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Negan doesn't want you to know yet."

"I assume the sooner I get out there the sooner I'll find out," Mia said as started towards the door.

"After you," Simon said with a gesture.

Mia walked out of the room and followed him down the hall. He opened the door that led outside and she stepped through the doorway. Her expression fell when she saw what was awaiting her in the yard.

The first thing she noticed was Daryl and a teenager kneeling in the center of the lot. Negan was the next person she noticed. He was standing behind the two men with Lucille in one hand and a small pocketknife in the other. Mia's gaze scanned the large crowd that surrounded them before looking back at Negan. The wide smirk plastered on his face told her he was about to do something sadistic.

"Amelia Corrine Monroe," Negan greeted loudly enough for everyone in the yard to hear. "Welcome to the show… or rather, the execution."

Mia swallowed her initial uncertainty and clenched her fists at her sides. She took a deep breath and uncurled her fingers slowly. She continued to take deep breaths as she looked at Daryl. He was exhausted, that was plain to see. He had on the same clothes from the previous day and it was obvious he hadn't been allowed to shower. Mia tried to tell him it was going to be okay, but she knew she couldn't get the message across with just a look. She glanced up at Negan and wet her lips before speaking.

"What are you doing, Negan?" Mia asked calmly.

"Well, I think I just told you, Amelia," he said. He gestured to Daryl and the other young man and chuckled. "It's an execution."

"You're lying," Mia said with feign confidence. "If you kill Daryl, Rick will never work for you."

"I think he would," Negan told her as he walked around Daryl and the unnamed teen and stepped in front of her. "If he didn't, I'd just kill another one of your people. If that doesn't work, I'd kill someone else and so on and so on. But that's not even important since I'm not going to be the one doing the killing."

Mia didn't have to ask to know what he meant. She exchanged a quick look with Daryl and pursed her lips. "I'm not killing Daryl. I'd rather die."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Negan said. He walked back around Daryl and the younger man. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I completely forgot to explain the options, didn't I, Simon?"

"You did," Simon said from behind her. Mia held her breath as Negan waited to continue.

"This is Henry. Henry, here, committed several infractions against our community yesterday," Negan explained as he grabbed the younger man by the shoulders. "The penalty is death, but with Daryl here I've decided to make things a little more fucking interesting. You see, one of these men are definitely going die today. Daryl will be taken back to Alexandria and we'll have Rick cut him into pieces while your community watches or Henry will be beaten to death right here in front of his mother."

Mia glanced over her shoulder when Negan gestured behind her. She didn't have to search for Henry's mother. The woman was in tears, crying quietly as she watched the events leading up to her son's death.

"Now, the other option," Negan started, "is that you take this knife, kill one of them, and the other will be spared."

Mia exhaled slowly and looked between the two people kneeling in front of her. She met Negan's gaze again. "Did Daryl actually do something to deserve this?"

"He tried to escape again," Negan said as he moved behind Daryl. "And when I gave him a chance to get out of this, he decided not to do what I asked."

"And what was that?"

"Join us," Negan answered with a smile.

Mia clenched her teeth as she took a deep, calming breath. She looked down at Daryl and he met her gaze. "Did that actually hap—"

"Nope!" Negan shouted calmly. "You don't talk to him and he doesn't talk to you or he definitely dies. You have to make your decision without them clouding your judgment."

Mia glanced around as she took several deep breaths. She felt like she was about to explode. Negan wanted her to make her decision without them clouding her judgment? He knew that wasn't possible. Daryl was her family and Henry was just a kid whose mother was standing a few feet behind her sobbing. Even with Mia's sympathy for the kid and his mother, she couldn't imagine killing Daryl.

"Can I have the gun?" Mia asked as her gaze lifted from the Daryl and Henry. Daryl was just staring at the ground while Henry was silently begging her not to kill him.

"No gun," Negan replied. "We need the brain to remain intact and the knife makes it more personal."

Mia narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"It's a long story, but we like their brains unharmed," Negan explained. "And if you try to kill them with the gun, the other person will die."

That changed things up a bit. Without being able to kill Henry by shooting him in the head, there were only a few other choices, but they weren't as painless as the original method.

Negan whistled a short tune as he walked up beside Mia and held out the knife. He looked at his followers and raised his voice. "Someone get them to their fucking feet!"

Two men stepped forward and brought Daryl and Henry to their feet. Daryl pulled away from his captor while Henry kept shaking his head. The teen was crying by then.

"He's just a kid," Mia thought aloud. She looked at Negan, who only smiled.

"He's eighteen," Negan whispered in her ear. Mia pressed her lips together in frustration.

"He's still a kid," she told him.

"So are you. Now, I know this is an easy decision for you, Amelia," Negan said. "Stalling doesn't fool me. You've known who you were going to kill the second I told you why you were here. This should be easy for you."

"Killing someone who's unarmed is never easy," Mia retorted.

"Well, it was easy for you when it was my men in the satellite station," Negan told her and Mia realized what this was about. He had punished the group for what they had done, but he hadn't punished her.

"Just because I did it doesn't mean it was easy," she said. "How do I know that you're even telling the truth about what they did?"

"You don't, but you're going to kill Henry anyways because if you don't, they both die," Negan demanded as he put the knife out in front of her again. Mia snatched the weapon tightly in her hand and stepped towards Henry. He shook his head frantically as he looked from the knife to her face.

"Please," Henry begged. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes," Mia said quietly. "I do."

She grabbed his shoulder and stepped into him, driving the knife into his stomach. Henry leaned against her once he began to bleed heavily and Mia twisted the short knife in deeper. She could hear a woman cry out behind her and she knew it was his mother, but she only squeezed her eyes shut and withdrew the knife. Henry fell to the floor after Mia stepped away and she could see that his t-shirt was drenched in blood. When she held out her hand with the knife she saw that it was also covered in blood. She dropped the weapon and clenched her trembling, bloody hand into a fist.

Mia glanced at Daryl, who was already watching her, before turning around to face Negan. He stepped towards her and pulled a cloth out of his back pocket. She stayed cemented in her spot as he uncurled her fist and wiped the blood from her fingers. When he finished, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and walked past her. Simon approached her and put one hand on the small of her back and grabbed her arm lightly with the other. He led her back into the Sanctuary and took her to Negan's bathroom.

"Do you need help getting the blood off?" Simon asked as he waited for her to wash her hand. Mia looked at him and shook her head.

"No," she answered after a moment of thought. "I can do it."

She turned the water on to hot and waited until it warmed up to stick her bloody hand under the faucet. Mia massaged her hand with soap and water. Most of the blood had been rinsed down the drain by the time she finished. She faced Simon when she was finished and allowed him to lead her through the hall. She came to a stop when she realized that he was taking her to the sitting room where Negan's wives spent their days.

"I'm not staying in there," Mia protested. "I'm not one of his who… I'm not his wife."

"He knows that," Simon told her. "He didn't want you to be alone while you waited for him."

Mia bit her lip lightly as she stared at the double doors. "Fine."

She went inside the large room when Simon opened the door for her. He waited in the doorway for a moment. "There'll be someone outside if you need anything."

"Okay," Mia sighed and Simon left, closing the door behind him. She took a deep breath before turning around to face the wives. They had been there during the execution, but they were just onlookers.

"Hey," Sherry said as she approached the younger woman. "I know what Negan did was messed up, but the kid, Henry, wasn't innocent."

"He killed a man yesterday," one of the younger wives, Amber, told her. "He got caught stealing and the man was going to turn him in so Henry killed him."

"That wasn't the first time Henry had killed either," Sherry said. "He killed a kid younger than him at one of the colonies in order to get them to submit."

Mia knew Sherry was referring to the Hilltop and she felt a bit of relief after hearing what Henry had done. The kid wasn't innocent, but did he deserve to die for what he had done? Mia felt that it shouldn't have been up to her to decide that. She shouldn't be the one to decide who lives and who dies.

"Thank you," Mia told the women. "Do you know if Daryl really tried to escape?"

"He did," Sherry said. "I saw him—talked to him. I tried to convince him to go back, but he's stubborn. He might actually make it out of here without losing himself."

"I hope he does," Mia replied. She knew there was a chance that the wives would tell Negan what she was saying, but she forced herself to disregard that concern. They might be devoted to him, but they didn't truly love their husband.

"Do you want a drink?" Amber asked after a few moments of silence passed between them.

"Do you guys have vodka?" Mia questioned.

"We have everything," Sherry answered with an understanding smile. She went over to the corner of the room where the bar was and poured the younger girl a drink. Mia joined Sherry and thanked her before downing the entire cup at once.

"You really needed that, didn't you?" Sherry asked. Mia smiled as she let out a quiet scoff.

"You have no idea."

 **A/N:** Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 14 - Part 2

Set during 7x03 "The Cell."

 _Dark twisted fantasy turned to reality_

 _Kissing death and losing my breath_

 _Midnight hours cobble street passages_

 _Forgotten savages, forgotten savages_

 _Dig up her bones but leave the soul alone_

 _Let her find her way to a better place_

 _Broken dreams and silent screams_

 _Empty churches with soulless curses_

 _We found a way to escape the day_

" _Bones" – Ms Mr_

 **(Trigger warning: rape, sexual assault, mention of rape, depiction of sexual assault)**

Chapter 14: Part 2 — Forgotten Savages

Dwight was the one to show up at the sitting room to retrieve Mia.

"Where's Simon?" Mia asked as she joined him in the hallway.

"Negan needed him," Dwight said. He turned and took a few steps forward. "So, I'm staying with you for the rest of today."

Mia fell into step behind him, walking in silence for a while before she slowed to a stop in the middle of the hallway. Dwight turned towards her when she realized that she was no longer following him and Mia cocked her eyebrow as stepped up close to Dwight.

"Where's Daryl?" She asked calmly.

"In his hole," Dwight answered, steadily holding her gaze.

"Did Negan have you hurt him again?" Mia questioned.

"He asked us to make sure that he doesn't sleep, that's it," Dwight said.

"That's it?" She scoffed. "Sleep deprivation is a form of torture. You know that, right?"

"Negan promised you that he would have clothes and food," Dwight reminded Mia with a soft shrug. "He didn't say anything about a little torture. He's kept his word."

Mia pursed her lips and tilted her head up slightly, refusing to break their eye contact. "I talked to your wife today."

"Ex-wife," Dwight corrected nonchalantly, but Mia could see his body stiffen slightly at the mention of Sherry.

" _Ex_ -wife. My bad," Mia shrugged and stepped closer to him, narrowing her doe-eyes. "Do you miss it? Having someone to hold… or kiss whenever you want? I mean, you must get lonely." Mia scoffed quietly, quirking her head to side. "Sherry's definitely not lonely. The way Negan talks about her… he probably spends hours in bed with her every day." She took another step towards the older man and raised a hand, running her fingers over the burnt area of Dwight's face slowly. "I'm sure you could have that, too. You could have someone to be with… to hold and kiss and screw whenever you wanted." She moved closer to Dwight so their faces were mere inches apart as she slid her hand lower on his cheek, refusing to break the tension building between them. Mia saw him lean down an inch. Their lips were almost touching and she knew she had his attention. "But you still love her… even though she's with Negan. She's probably fallen for him, too. I mean, it must be hard not to resist him. He's charismatic, powerful, smart, and nice when he wants to be. And I'm sure he's amazing in bed. Sherry must really enjoy that part."

Dwight barely let her finish her last sentence when he grabbed her by the wrist roughly and jostled her towards him. She ignored the pain from the fresh ligature marks and gave him a wicked smiled. He was angry, but that was the exact emotion she was trying to illicit from him.

"What are you trying to do?!" He growled.

" _There_ it is. Your trigger," she snarled as she let out a breathless laugh. "Everyone's got one. Mine is family. Yours?" She said with an amused chuckle. "Sherry. Finding someone's trigger is one of the first steps to finding out how to destroy them."

"So what?" Dwight asked through his clenched teeth.

"So, help me find Negan's trigger," Mia proposed in a whisper. Even though the hallway was empty, she never knew who could be lurking around the corner. "Help me do that and I will make sure you and Sherry get out of here alive."

"You're insane if you think you can take down Negan," Dwight told her as he kept a firm hold on her arm, the anger beginning to fade from his eyes.

Mia shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe, deep down, you think I _can_ do it. That's why you haven't told him what I said that day in the clearing when he left with Rick."

Dwight held her gaze for a long moment before letting her go. He sighed as he rubbed his face and turned away from her. "How can you not see it?"

"See what?" Mia asked.

"His trigger," Dwight told her as he turned around to face her. "It's you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mia questioned, confused. "I'm just something he hasn't been able to conquer yet. He likes the chase. That's it."

"You're more than that to him," Dwight said, shaking his head lightly. "And, deep down, you know it."

"No," Mia stated firmly. "Someone who cares about another person in that way would never hurt them like he's hurt me."

Dwight shook his head. "The beginning of that night was for Rick. The last part of it, though, that was for you. Negan knew you'd never let Rick or his son suffer like that." Dwight gestured to her and she dropped her gaze as she thought about what he said. "He knew you were smart enough to figure out a way to stop him and that you would do it… for Rick, for his son. Terrifying Rick into submission was just a happy coincidence."

Mia looked up at him and took a deep breath. "So, that was part of his plan all along—to get me to come home with him."

"He already knew your trigger." Dwight paused as he looked into her eyes. "And he used it to get what he wanted. He's done it twice now."

"The execution," Mia whispered.

"Yeah," Dwight murmured as he held her gaze. It almost looked like he felt sorry for her. "We should go before he comes looking."

Mia nodded and started to follow him, but she grabbed his arm before they entered Negan's room. "Dwight."

He looked down at her. "What?"

"I'm sorry for what I said before," she told him honestly. "It was all lies. I was just trying to get a rise out of you."

"Well, it worked," Dwight said. He let out a deep breath. "I understand why you did it."

Mia forced a nod and walked past him into Negan's room, sitting down on the bed. Dwight closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall. She let out a quiet sigh as she laid back on the bed, layering her arms over her face to block the light.

"I never got used to it: the loneliness," Mia explained quietly, keeping her face and eyes covered. She had every reason to hate Dwight for what he had done, but she couldn't overlook that they both had ended up in similar situations. "Growing up, I always had my brothers by my side. After the end, I tried to get used to being alone, but it never felt right. When I finally reached Alexandria, I just felt a lot better knowing that I wasn't alone anymore."

"You had brothers?" Dwight asked and Mia turned her head to meet his gaze, lifting her arms slightly.

"I did," Mia answered with a soft smile. Her expression sobered before she continued. "Aiden's dead along with my parents, but Spencer's still alive. At least, he was the last time I saw him."

"I was an only child," Dwight told her. "I always wanted siblings."

"I always wanted to be an only child," Mia replied with smirk and sat up slowly. She offered Dwight a shrug. "Guess the grass is always greener on the other side…"

They tore their gazes away from each other and looked towards the door when they heard it open. Mia was surprised that it wasn't Negan who entered the room. Instead, it was an older man who looked to be in his late forties. He was tall and had a muscular build, but his disproportionate facial features left a lot to be desired. Dwight stood up as the man walked inside.

"Negan asked for you to find him in the garden," the man stated. "There's a situation that needs to be handled."

"What about the girl?" Dwight asked, his gaze flickering over his shoulder to Mia.

The man looked at her for a moment before he turned his attention back to Dwight. "Negan told me to stay with her."

"Fine," Dwight said and looked at Mia. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay," Mia replied and folded her legs in front of her on the bed.

Dwight left Mia behind with Todd and immediately went to find Negan. He located the leader of the Saviors in the garden just like Todd had said, but the blond man waited until Negan finished his conversation with Arat to approach him.

"What did you need?" Dwight asked as he faced Negan.

"I don't need anything from you except for you to watch Amelia," the older man replied like the answer had been written on his forehead.

Dwight narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Todd said that you needed me here."

"Todd?" Negan asked, his expression becoming serious.

"Yeah."

"I never sent Todd to watch Amelia," Negan said. Dwight swore under his breath when both he and Negan realized that something was wrong. Negan called for Arat and Simon to join them and the four of them strode back into the factory.

Negan was the first one to reach his bedroom. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. He wanted to go to Amelia the moment he laid eyes on her, but he refrained. Dwight, Simon, and Arat had the good sense to remain silent as they observed the bloody scene before them.

Amelia was standing at the end of the bed, holding a bloody knife in her hand, her chest still heaving. Her upper body was covered with fresh blood. She even had splatter marks on her face along with a fresh cut on her cheek and a split lip. Negan noticed her pants sitting in a heap on the floor a few feet from her. The old shirt of his that she had been given to wear was torn at the hem. She wasn't looking at any of the onlookers, though. Her brown eyes were glued to the man on the floor in front of her. His throat had been cut deep and his clothes were drenched with his own blood, revealing his cause of death.

After a long moment, Mia tore her gaze from the corpse and looked at Negan and his lieutenants, her eyes brimming with tears as she let the knife slip through her fingers. Dwight could see the genuine guilt in her expression. Her lips parted slightly to take a deep breath and her shoulders fell when she let it out.

"Amelia, what happened?" Negan asked as his eyes scanned her for injuries. In any other situation he would have enjoyed her lack of clothing, but this was different. She had been hurt by one of his men while under his protection. That was a line that never should have been crossed.

"I didn't—I didn't have a choice," she stammered. Mia didn't want to cry, but it was too late. The tears that had yet to spill onto her face finally did, streaming down her cheeks. "He said he was—he was—he would have killed me."

"What happened?" Negan repeated calmly.

"He…" Mia swallowed the lump in her throat despite the faint ache it created and placed a hand over her bruised neck as she recounted the images playing over and over in her head. "…he was choking me. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't. He just pushed down harder and harder and kept telling me it was my fau—fault."

Simon stepped forward and leaned in closer to Negan, lowering his voice a little. "Todd's brothers was at the satellite station the night of the attack. He thought you should have executed Rick's entire group that night in the clearing."

"Did he say anything else?" Negan asked Mia. She averted her gaze and nodded.

"He told me that you would never be able to do your job while I was here. He said… you wouldn't be able to protect your people, so there was no reason I should be protected," Mia answered as she looked at Todd. He was bigger than her in every sense of the word and a lot stronger. When he pinned her to the bed she tried to push him off, but even with using all of the strength she could muster, he wasn't swayed an inch.

Negan walked up to her and she didn't have the energy to move away from him when he placed a hand under her chin. He tilted her head up and inspected the injuries he could see. Negan met her gaze after he made out the bruises under the blood. He cupped her face lightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. His touch was softer than she ever thought was possible. Mia couldn't stop the sob that had built up in her chest, letting it roll out of her as Negan wrapped his arms around her. She tolerated his touch, but she didn't embrace him. Mia didn't want to have to rely on Negan for anything. She wanted to be at home with Rick and her brother, but she was stranded at the sanctuary and Negan was all she had at the moment.

She had been hurt by people before, but this was different. Todd made her remove her pants at gunpoint before he attempted to get take off her underwear, but Mia hit him hard enough to spark the rage that led him to choke her instead of rape her. The hatred the man held in his heart for her was so palpable that Mia knew he would have choked the life out of her if she didn't do something to stop him. She never would have killed him if she had any other choice. Mia had to keep her promise to her mom, though. She had to do whatever it took to survive.

"Where did you get the knife?" Negan asked once she pulled away from him. Mia used her unsteady blood-stained hand to push her hair out of her face, leaving behind a red streak on her forehead.

"He had it on him," she answered as her gaze returned to the body. "I managed to get it off his belt and then I… I…."

"Dwight," Negan said before she could finish and the man stepped forward. Dwight grabbed her pants off the floor and handed them to Mia. She pulled them on slowly as Negan addressed him. "Take her to the sitting room. The girls will clean her up in my bathroom and get her clean clothes. Then bring her back here."

Dwight nodded and hesitantly wrapped an arm around Mia. He didn't know if she'd even let him touch her, but she allowed him to guide her out of the room and down the hall. Somehow, her feet kept moving, but her mind was still back in Negan's room. She couldn't get the sight of Todd's body out of her head. They walked in silence until they reached the sitting room. Mia turned to Dwight abruptly and exhaled sharply.

"Negan believes me, right?" She asked. Her brain was running at a 100 miles a minute, but then she remembered that she wasn't the only one in danger. She still had family in the Sanctuary. "He has to know that I would never jeopardize Daryl's safety just to kill one Savior."

Dwight pursed his lips as he glanced around, making sure no one was listening. He looked down at her and sighed. "I think Negan would believe you even if you told him you hadn't killed Todd."

The thought made her flinch. She held out her bloody hands and squeezed them into fists, willing them to be still. She screwed her eyes shut for a long moment as she pressed her hands to her forehead, releasing a shaky breath. Dwight watched her, waiting to speak until she dropped her hands to her sides.

"You good?"

"No," Mia stated. Until that point a lot of what she had done while in the Sanctuary had been a part of the act she was putting on to get through this ordeal. But the tears in her eyes were real. The pain she was feeling was real. "I'm not."

Dwight opened the double doors to the sitting room after holding her gaze for a moment longer. He knew there wasn't anything that he could say to her to make her feel better. Todd had taken any sense of safety she had felt in the Sanctuary and there was nothing that could give it back to her.

The wives that were seated inside looked up at them as they walked in, but Sherry was the first one to approach them. Mia could feel the older woman's eyes on her before she forced herself to meet the older woman's gaze. She knew she probably looked like a bloody mess. Sherry turned to Dwight for an explanation.

"Negan wants you guys to clean her up and get her some new clothes," Dwight told her, keeping his tone detached and professional. "He said you can use his bathroom."

"Okay," Sherry said. She glanced over her shoulder at a red-haired women sitting down on one of the couches and gestured for her to join them. "Frankie."

Sherry and Dwight took Mia to the bathroom while Frankie went to get some clothes. Once the women were inside, Dwight locked the door behind them. Frankie and Sherry helped Mia strip her bloody shirt and started to clean the mix of fresh and dry blood from her upper body. Sherry used a light touch as she cleared the blood away from the cuts on her face and bruises on her neck. Mia tried to find the willpower to help, but she couldn't move. After killing two men in under 24 hours she was running on empty.

"Here," Sherry said before she helped put on the oversized flannel shirt that replaced Negan's bloody t-shirt. The younger girl pushed her arms through the long sleeves and Frankie tied Aiden's leather bracelet around Mia's wrist. She had only taken it off so the redhead could clean the blood off it.

"Mia," Sherry started hesitantly as she started to roll up the sleeves for her. "Did he rape you? I don't want to pry, but if he did, we should take the right precautions."

"He tried, but," Mia paused. She had heard Dwight explain what happened to his ex-wife, but he left out the nature of the assault. "I stopped him."

"I'm sorry, Mia," Sherry murmured and pushed a piece of hair behind Mia's ear.

Sherry gave the younger girl a sad smile and she and Frankie finished shortening the sleeves. Mia thanked them when they were done and Dwight guided her back to Negan's room. She decided to wait outside since she couldn't go inside until the janitors were done cleaning the blood off the floor. Negan and the man Mia had come to know as Dr. Carson met her in the hallway.

"The shape of the bruises indicates that she was choked," Dr. Carson said after he inspected her. "And the cut on her cheek and lip are definitely from being struck."

"We weren't questioning her story, doctor," Negan told him sternly. "I just wanted to make sure she'll be okay."

"You'll be fine," the doctor said as he met Mia's gaze. "It will hurt to swallow for a few days, but the pain should go away soon. The cut on your cheek will need some stitches. I can also give you something for the pain if you need it. The bandages on your wrists should be changed as well."

"Thank you," Mia replied, her voice quiet. She leaned against the wall as Negan talked privately with the doctor. Mia assumed the man must be a relative of the Dr. Carson at the Hilltop, but she couldn't say anything without revealing the alliance between Alexandria and the other Savior colony.

"Dwight," Negan said, causing Mia to turn her head to watch the interaction. "Go help Arat and Simon with the questioning. Make sure you talk to anyone Todd could have even possibly spoken with."

Mia waited until Dwight walked away to approach Negan. She looked up at him and hugged her arms to her chest. "You don't have to do that. I just want this to be over."

"It'll only be over once I make sure that no one else is going to try to hurt you," Negan explained.

"Negan," Mia began, "I'm fine. He didn't kill me and all wounds heal with time."

Negan towered over her. "Not all wounds. You were my guest. I told my people you wouldn't be harmed while you were here. One of my men went against what I said and tried to hurt you. I saw what he did to you. I know he raped you."

"He didn't. I fought him off, Negan," Mia said. She swallowed hard before she continued quietly. "I killed him. No one else should have to die for this."

"If someone knew he was going to try to hurt you or helped him do it then they will share his punishment," Negan said and placed a hand on her arm as he kissed her forehead. "I won't let something like this happen again."

Mia met his gaze and exhaled, knowing she wouldn't be able to talk him out of it. She gave the only response that came to mind. "Thank you."

* * *

Once the room was clean, Negan saw to it that Mia's cheek was stitched up and her bandages were changed. The sun had just set, but she was exhausted and simply wanted to go to bed. She wished she could forget what had happened. She wanted to forget that she stabbed a kid to save Daryl and cut a man's throat after he attacked her. But she knew better. Her dreams would be filled with memories she would rather forget.

Mia wanted to be with Rick. Being near him would make her feel better, but they were miles apart and Negan was all she had.

"You ready?" He asked after Dr. Carson left.

"Yeah," Mia said. Negan sat down next to her. She bit her lip as she pulled her hair into a loose ponytail.

Mia looked at Negan once her hair was tied up. "Why me?"

"What do you mean?" Negan asked as he continued to stare at the floor.

"Why do you treat me like this?" Mia questioned. "Why am I so important to you?"

Negan met Mia's gaze. "You remind me of someone I used to care about."

"Who?" Mia asked even though she doubted he would tell her.

"My wife," Negan said, surprising her. "My real wife. Not any of the ones that followed."

Mia took a deep breath and let it out. That was the last thing she expected. "I remind you of her?"

"You two have a lot in common," Negan admitted as he ran a hand over the stitches on Mia's cheek lightly. She had to fight the urge to pull away from his touch. "A lot of things I miss about her, I find in you."

"What was her name?"

"Lucille," Negan answered and dropped his hand from her face.

Mia nodded her head understandingly. "Lucille. You named your bat after her."

"If, one day, you were to marry me I would leave my other wives." Negan paused as Mia tried to comprehend what he was saying. "I wouldn't need them if I had you. You're all that I want."

"No, I'm not. You want Lucille back and I'm the closest thing you have to her. But, Negan…" He met her gaze when she paused. "I'm not your wife. I will never be your wife."

"I'm not going to give up. No matter what you say," Negan said and Mia dropped her gaze.

"Once I'm out of here, I'm done giving you what you want. Does that change things?" Mia asked. She cocked her eyebrow when he wouldn't look at her. "What if I try to kill you? Would you be okay with killing me then—just like you did with Glenn and Abraham—or would you have someone else do it… like you did with Henry?" Negan narrowed his eyes at her as she continued. "I know you had him kill for you. Then the day came when he had to die and you made me do it."

"That was just business," Negan explained and his eyes filled with an emotion Mia couldn't identify. "But I will never fucking hurt you."

"So, if the time came for me to die, you would just have someone else pull the trigger and watch me bleed," Mia said.

"No," Negan replied lethally. "Because the day for you to die won't come as long as I'm here."

Mia's looked at him in disbelief. She didn't understand how someone so strategically smart could have fooled himself into thinking his love for her was true. "You actually think you care about me."

"I know I do," Negan said, but Mia shook her head firmly.

" _No_ , because if you did you never would have killed my friends… and definitely not the way you did it."

"That was business," Negan justified. "It wasn't personal."

"It wasn't personal?" Mia asked. She scoffed quietly. "Tell that to Glenn and Abraham's family. You made it personal the moment you looked into their eyes and the eyes of the people who loved them and decided to kill them anyways."

"Amelia, listen to me," Negan began, but she cut him off quickly.

"I bet you don't even know how many people you've killed… how many lives you've destroyed. You just stroll in, conduct your _business_ , and then walk away without caring how you leave them. Death, despair, chaos… those are the memories you leave behind. _That's_ your legacy."

Negan held her gaze as he raised an eyebrow. "So what?"

Mia sighed. She had seen that coming from a mile away, but a part of her hoped he would have at least pretended to care. "And that right there is why I don't think you're capable of caring about me. In order to do the things you've done and not care about the fallout, you have to be dead to the world. You can pretend to be a functioning human being all you like, but I think you're broken beyond repair." Mia ran hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face. "You're angry. Dark. That's never going to change."

"You don't think good people ever do terrible things?" Negan asked, seemingly unfazed by what she said.

"There are no more good people. We all have evil in us. It's there and it will never go away." She leaned towards Negan and narrowed her eyes. "The difference between us is that you don't kill so people can live. You do it to destroy them… to control them, to terrorize your victims, and I can't justify that. I won't justify that."

"I'm a survivor," Negan said and pointed to her. "Just like you."

"You… are a glorified serial killer," Mia corrected quietly.

"One day you'll understand why I did all this," Negan told her as he put a hand over hers. She dropped her eyes to their hands and took a deep breath. He had taken too much from her family to ever get validation from her. She pulled her hand away and met his gaze.

"I won't… and I will _never_ marry you."

"Give it time," Negan told her. "Everyone changes their minds eventually."

Mia didn't have to be told that they'd come to the end of the conversation. She didn't want to debate with him anymore, if that's what they were even doing. Negan would never understand how he made Mia and her family feel, the level of despair he had left them on. He didn't have the ability to understand because there was nothing he truly cared about, not even his own people. He claimed she was it, but she couldn't allow herself to believe that. Negan was a monster and monsters aren't able to care about anything other than themselves.

Negan didn't attempt to stop her when she got up from the bed. She walked out of the room without looking back and found Dwight waiting in the hallway. They didn't say anything, but fell into step beside each other as they made their way to his room. He opened the door for her and she sat down on the chair with a sigh. Mia raked a hand through her hair before resting her head on her fist.

"Do you want a minute alone?" Dwight asked quietly as he leaned against the wall.

"That's the last thing I want," Mia murmured, closing her eyes. "Being here sucks, but being alone..."

She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence, but Dwight didn't need to hear it. He cleared his throat. "You want me to get you something to eat?"

"I lost my appetite," the younger girl responded as she opened her eyes. "I just want to go to bed. The sooner this day ends, the better."

Mia looked at Dwight for a moment and stood up. She didn't bother changing before laying down on the bed. Dwight shut off the lights and took his spot on the floor. He didn't argue this time when she threw her pillow and blanket down beside him.

"When I was out there, I had to get used to sleeping on cold, hard ground," Mia explained, staring into the darkness. "A bed is more than enough for me."

It was quiet for a long moment. Dwight's voice eventually broke the silence. "Thanks."

* * *

Dwight was already gone when Mia woke from her nightmare and she spent no time dwelling on the ghosts of her past. She got dressed and met him outside. The older man took her to get something to eat in the market before going to the sitting room. Mia tried to ignore the fact that she was spending the day with Negan's wives, as if she was one of them. She had nothing against the women. They were kind to her and welcoming, but she hated the idea of being seen as one of Negan's triumphs.

Mia was sitting with the wife closest to her age, Amber, when Dwight came to get her. She was taken to Negan's room and was happy for a split second when she saw Daryl. He was cleaner than before and so was his clothes, but he was still injured. Mia then noticed that Negan was sitting in his recliner, smiling wide. She exchanged a look with Daryl before looking back at Negan.

"Negan," she said, making him meet her gaze.

"Don't worry. I didn't hurt him. We just had a little chat, that's all."

"About what?" Mia asked after inspecting Daryl quickly.

"His life here, and what it would be like moving forward," Negan explained. "He could have been an integral member here, but he chose not to join us, which was a fucking dumb-ass choice, and now his life is going to be fucking hell." He pointed at Mia and smiled. "Not even you can stop that."

Mia knew he was telling the truth. After everything she said the night before there would be nothing she could do to stop the hell that Daryl was about to endure, and even if there was, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to do it. She was already giving Negan everything she could offer him without crossing the line.

"Can I talk to him before you put him back?" Mia asked Negan.

"You have five minutes," Negan said before walking out of the room with Dwight.

"What happened to you?" Daryl asked the second the door shut behind Dwight and Negan. He stepped up to her and inspected her wounds.

"A man tried to hurt me… kill me, but I stopped him," Mia answered. She smiled faintly at Daryl when he gave her a concerned look. "I'm fine. My face and throat hurt, but there's nothing like a little pain to remind you you're alive."

"You'll make it through this," Daryl said.

" _We'll_ make it through this. We don't have any other choice," Mia replied with a knowing look. "We have to survive and make it back to everyone at home."

"Negan get the guy who did this to you?" Daryl questioned as he gestured to her. "Did he kill him?"

"No. I killed him."

"Good," Daryl told her. "A person who can do something like _that_ doesn't get to live."

Mia hesitated to tell him the whole truth. She didn't have anyone else to talk to, though. She sighed as she ran her hands through her hair and met his gaze. "The man, Todd, he didn't just try to kill me. He tried to… he tried to rape me."

"Did he?" Mia could see the anger and concern in his eyes.

"No," Mia replied as eyes began to burn with the threat of tears. Daryl had never seen her cry and she had been hoping to keep it that way, but she couldn't bring herself to care about how strong she looked anymore. "I punched him and he hit me then started to choke me. That's when I got the knife off his belt and cut his throat."

"Are you okay?"

Mia pursed her lips as she shook her head. The tears were on the verge of spilling over and her voice wavered when she spoke. "No. I want to go home to Rick and Spencer and the others, but then I remember that it's only been two days. I mean, if it's been this hard to get through two days, what is it going to be like after a month?" Mia sniffled and wiped away a tear. She couldn't afford to waste time talking about herself. "I don't know what he's going to do to you, Daryl. He'll try to break you in every way he knows how, though. He'll try to take away whatever amount of restraint you have left and there will be nothing I can do to stop it. I have nothing else to give him and he knows it."

"You'll be okay," Daryl said and placed a hand on her uninjured cheek.

"I'm not worried about me. Negan won't hurt me, but he'll hurt you… or worse."

"Don't worry about me," Daryl said. "I'll be fine. I can take whatever shit they throw at me."

Mia placed a hand over Daryl's and he kissed her forehead. "I wish I could believe that."

They dropped their hands to their sides when the door opened behind them. Mia stepped towards Daryl and embraced him in a hug. He didn't hesitate to hug her back this time, wrapping his arms around her as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Stay strong," Mia whispered before she pulled away. He nodded when they met each other's gaze.

"Time's up," Negan said and Dwight took Daryl out of the room a moment later. Mia's eyes caught on Lucille as she looked up at Negan. It was dripping blood just like it had been the night Glenn and Abraham died. She wanted to ask what happened, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Be ready to leave in an hour," Negan said as he walked towards the door.

"Where are we going?" Mia asked before he could leave.

"Alexandria."

Negan closed the door behind him and Mia rested a hand over her closed mouth as she tried to think a way to talk him out of it. She doubted that Rick and everyone else back at home would be ready for him. They were told he'd be there in a week and only two days had passed.

Dwight returned a short while later and told her that he was to take her back to the sitting room. Mia didn't bother arguing about that. There were bigger battles.

She stopped him after they turned down several hallways, though.

"What happened?" Mia asked after Dwight faced her. She continued when he raised an eyebrow at her. "I saw Lucille."

"We found a couple of Todd's friends that knew he was going to attack you and did nothing to stop him or warn us," Dwight answered.

"Negan killed them?" Mia questioned even though she knew the answer.

"He beat them worse than he did your friends," Dwight told her and Mia sighed. "I've seen him kill people before, but this time was different."

Mia narrowed her eyes. "Different how?"

"All the other times was just business. He did it because he had to," Dwight explained. His blue eyes met her brown ones, resting there. "But this time, he did it because he wanted to."

Mia didn't have to wonder why. Negan did it for her and only her. She took a deep breath when she remembered that four people were dead now… because of her. There was no telling how many more would end up dead by the time she destroyed Negan. And how many because of Mia's presence in his life?


End file.
